What Would Rose Do?
by Leftmango
Summary: Lily envies her beautiful cousin Rose, and they fall out a lot. But this time, Rose has had enough and she wants revenge. The problem is, said revenge brings Lily far closer to her arch enemy; Scorpius Malfoy, than she ever wanted to be. It's times like this that Lily wants to follow Rose's confident and respected example...so what would Rose do? Rated T for language:
1. New Years Resolutions

Chapter 1 – New Year's Resolutions

...

_**I find it kinda funny, I find it kinda sad,**_

_**The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had.**_

_**I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take,**_

_**When people run in circles it's a very, very,**_

_**Mad world, mad world.**_

_**Gary Jules – Mad world**_

* * *

**I do not own Harry Potter ... unfortunately :/**

* * *

Today was our first day back at Hogwarts after Christmas and I have already broken my New Year's Resolution of not getting into fights. Twice.

I'm not a violent person, I don't think, I just get fired up easily. I blow off at the smallest things. I can't help it.

So today, within the space of about 7 hours – or however long the train journey to here is – I managed to fall out with Rose, and start another fight with Malfoy.

I can't help myself. Not where Malfoy is concerned anyway. We've hated each other since the second we laid eyes on one another. It's in our blood I suppose, my dad hated his dad; I hate him. Simples.

He's a prefect, unlike me, and decided it would be fun to dock some house points from Gryffindor because I was talking too loudly. Of course I was talking loudly; I have about a million cousins to talk over. I'm very opinionated about things, and when I want to get my opinion across, I talk loudly.

I was telling Al and Rose and Roxy my opinions on house elf rights – Aunt Hermione has lectured us all about this over and over – when Malfoy came in and took 10 points for _aggressive behaviour._

So, of course, instead of being the better person and acting as if I didn't care, I yelled at him and tried to hex him.

But Malfoy is amazing at Defence Against the Dark Arts and managed to block it before it could do any damage. And then he took another 10 points.

I hate him _so _much. He's so incredibly infuriating. When he does stuff like that my anger just bubbles over. I'm absolutely shit at containing anger. Seriously.

So I just go mental and get myself into trouble.

Rose is much calmer about these things. When Malfoy irritates her, she takes it, smirks, acts like she doesn't care, and gets revenge later in a discrete way that couldn't possibly get her into any trouble.

She started lecturing me about how I need to control my anger and not blow off at people. As if I don't hear it enough at home.

My dad says I get it from my mum. He says she was fierce and protective like me, but I don't think she was as easily pissed off as I am. I don't know where I get that from.

So Rose was going on and on about how to control myself and that Malfoy _wants_ that reaction from me so I shouldn't give him the satisfaction, and that he isn't worth it. She was trying to help, I know, but as I was already incredibly pissed off and completely _not _in the mood for a lecture, I yelled at her to shut up and I _knew_ I needed to control myself and that Malfoy wasn't worth it but I just can't help myself.

So now she's not talking to me.

I really don't blame her.

I re-make my resolution to myself about not getting into fights. I'm sure I can do it. If I really try. If I just try to be more like Rose.

Which reminds me, I ought to go and apologise to her.

* * *

ϟ O-O¬

* * *

It feels good being back in the castle where I have spent the majority of my childhood. Everywhere is so familiar to me. In my first year here I was so good at getting lost I promised myself I'd memorise as much of it as possible.

I'm not saying I know everywhere, nobody does. But I know everywhere I have been. The main corridors of the castle have been memorised to me by heart. Every portrait, every suit of armour, every statue. One day, I would like to know every inch of it. But even James doesn't and he's got the marauder's map.

I head to Gryffindor tower to find Rose. I take a safe route where I know the ridiculous staircases won't move and send me somewhere I'm not supposed to be.

I love being surrounded by magic. I mean, there's always magic at home, and at the burrow. Little things like the washing up and the knitting doing themselves, but here, everything is magical. I feel more at home here than anywhere else. It makes it even better that half my family are here.

Yes, being part of the Potter-Weasley clan can get frustrating at times, but I love them all, so it doesn't matter.

I am walking down a long, familiar corridor that leads to Gryffindor tower. The sun is streaking through the windows and I am about to smile at this perfection when I remember Rose is mad at me and I have to apologise. And then, to my utter annoyance and frustration, I bump into Malfoy.

'Hello, Potty. Calmed down yet?'

'Shut up, Malfoy.' I say through gritted teeth. If I hadn't made that resolution…

He smirks. 'You should learn to control yourself. I'm sure I could persuade Professor Heath to start anger management classes with you.'

I glare at him furiously and bite down hard on my tongue to stop myself retorting.

What would Rose do?

Rose would walk away. But Lily doesn't just give in like that. Nope, walking away would be admitting defeat, just as yelling at him would be showing him he's got to me. Say something clever, Lily…

I can think of nothing. I hiss at him and whisper threateningly, 'stay away from me, Malfoy, or someone is going to get hurt.'

'And it sure as hell isn't going to be me.' Malfoy says back leaning in so his face is right by mine. 'I always win, Potter. Don't start a war with me if you want to get out of here alive.'

He walks away and I stand feeling rather scared, and annoyed because I shouldn't be scared of Malfoy.

I give up on trying not to get into fights; I'm obviously just useless at it.

I try to ignore the fact that my heart is racing in unwanted exhilaration.

* * *

ϟ O-O¬

* * *

I get to the portrait of the Fat Lady, but there doesn't seem to be any Gryffindors around, so obviously I can't get in. I swear under my breath.

And then, thankfully, I see Ryan and Jack walking towards me. Jack is in my house and as he's Professor Longbottom's son, he's a good friend of ours. Ryan Macmillan is his best friend and a Gryffindor so hopefully I can persuade him to get Rose for me.

'Ryan, thank Merlin. Hi,' I say, 'please can you ask Rose to come out here for me? Please?' I beg, giving him my best puppy dog eyes. It's not so hard with big brown eyes like mine.

He grins. 'Sure Lily, I'll bring her out. Wait here a second, Jack?' He turns to his best friend, who nods, and then he whispers the password before entering the Gryffindor common room. It's not like it would really matter if Jack and I knew what the password was, but you're just not allowed to tell other people.

There's a moment of awkward silence. The Fat Lady observes us suspiciously before taking a sip of wine and humming to herself.

'Why do you need Rose?' Jack asks me while we wait.

The Fat Lady stops humming and turns to listen in to our conversation.

'Oh … I kind of fell out with her again …' I admit.

He laughs. 'Oh Lily, when will you learn.'

I shrug and look at the floor miserably. I know he is trying to make light of the situation, but I'm too pissed off with myself to laugh about it.

Then Ryan and Rose come out of the portrait hole, and Ryan walks off with Jack after giving me a nervous glance. He probably thinks there's going to be a fight.

'What do you want?' Rose asks, irritated.

'To say sorry. You know I get pissed off easily, it wasn't personal or anything.'

'I was trying to help! There was nothing to get pissed off _about_!'

The Fat Lady tuts at our swearing. Rose glares at her and drags me a few metres down the corridor where she won't be able to hear us.

'I know,' I say, 'I was just annoyed already because of Malfoy, and I was annoyed at myself for retaliating and getting myself into trouble. I'm sorry I took it out on you.'

'Whatever, Lily. I shouldn't be telling you what to do anyway.'

'What do you mean?' I ask.

She's never said _that _before. I love her and everything, but she's always enjoyed telling me what to do. She's _older_ and _wiser_ and likes to teach me life lessons. It's annoying, but it's just her thing.

I suppose it comes from being such a genius.

'I _mean_, you don't need my help. You're fine on your own. So what if you get angry? You're beautiful and smart and popular and crazy – in a good way – I only tell you what do to do make myself feel better. So _I'm _sorry, okay?' She still looks annoyed.

'Don't be stupid.' I say. She is _far _prettier than me. I'm small, with short, dark red hair that's almost brown, and I have freckles all over my nose. I'm not _ugly_; I just kind of look younger than I am. People say I'm cute – baby cute, not beautiful cute.

Rose looks older than she is, and her hair is a proper deep and beautiful red. It's long and curly, and her eyes are a beautiful bright blue. Boys are all over her.

And as for me being smart, I don't know who she thinks she's kidding. She's the brightest girl in her year, and probably the school, whereas the only thing I'm good at is Care of Magical Creatures. And that's not even considered a proper subject by most people.

I remind her of all of this, but she just rolls her eyes. 'It's not a competition Lily. Just … argh!' she rings her hands in despair. I'm not sure what I've done this time.

For once.

'Lily, do you know what? You need to get over yourself and appreciate everything you've got. And if you don't, I'll bloody well do it for you.'

She sounds really mad. I have no idea what to say.

It doesn't matter anyway as she stalks back into her common room without another word, her long hair flying behind her.

* * *

**A/N: Couple of things I want to say ...:)**

**Professor Heath is the head teacher, I didn't want to use any of JK's characters because I thought there would probably be someone new...anyway, he's hardly in this story so don't worry about that too much ... ;) **

**I know where I'm going with this story so IF I get some reviews saying people want me to carry on with it, then I'll probably be able to update every day ... or near enough:)**

**If people want to know my character's ages and houses and the likes, I'll put them on my profile:)**

**This is my first PROPER fic (the others are a one-shot, a poem, and a shitty one I wrote ageeesss ago so I don't count it;) so please go easy on me and I would _love love love _some reviews!**

**Thank you for reading, you guys rock :')**

**~Mango**


	2. Switching Roles

Chapter 2 – Switching Roles

...

**I wanna stand up, I wanna let go,**

_**You know, you know, no you don't, you don't.**_

_**I wanna shine on, in the hearts of men,**_

_**I wanna mean it from the back of my broken hand.**_

_**The Killers – All These Things That I've Done**_

* * *

**I don't own Harry Potter :(**

* * *

The next day I go down to the Quidditch pitch early to try and blow off some steam. Flying always helps.

My hair flies around behind me and all my worries disappear just for a little while and all I can think is _This Is The Life. _

The air is cold and a sharp wind whips my face but it doesn't bother me. The sky is a bright, clear white and it has been snowing. The view of the castle from up here is incredible. I can see every last turret and tower.

Up here I feel free and powerful. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks of me, I do what I enjoy and I have fun. This is the definition of that.

Everywhere is so beautiful. I feel I could see the entire world if I wanted to. The odd snowflake falls onto my face and I decide that no matter what happens with Rose, I Am Going To Have A Good Day.

I land, feeling slightly out of breath, and sit on an old bench by the broomstick shed just trying to figure out how to stop her being so annoyed at me. I know it's my own fault, but I don't know what to do.

I think over what she said. _"You need to get over yourself and appreciate everything you've got. And if you don't, I'll bloody well do it for you."_

Appreciate what I've got? I _do _appreciate what I've got. I _know _I'm lucky. I mean, my dad is one of the most famous wizards alive, I have an amazing family and group of friends, I appreciate it, I really do … my temper has nothing to do with not appreciating it.

I can't help it.

And anyway what did she mean she would _do it for me? _That doesn't make _any _sense. How could anyone appreciate someone else's life? She's so infuriating.

I glare at nothing in particular and then notice Malfoy leaning casually against the old broom shed. Brilliant. Just brilliant.

He smirks. 'What have you done this time _Loony?' _I hate my parents for giving me two names that both sound like loony.

'What makes you think I've done anything?' I snap. I can't help noticing how his shirt is ever-so-slightly too tight and just a teeny bit see through. Stop looking, Lily.

He smirks again and ignores my question. Dammit, he saw me looking.

'Like what you see?' He asks.

'You wish.' I glare at him and get prepared to pull my wand out of my pocket. I hate this bastard.

He laughs. 'It's okay, Potter, you can admit it. You're only human after all.' How someone so arrogant can have any friends at all completely baffles me.

I stage a yawn and raise my eyebrows at him. 'Are you trying to flirt with me, Malfoy?'

'Are you kidding me? Potter, in case you hadn't noticed, I hate you. If the feeling's not mutual then it's your problem. I would _never _flirt with you.' He looks deadly serious and his silver eyes have clouded grey. Never underestimate Scorpius Malfoy when he gets angry.

'Don't worry. The feeling _is_ mutual. It's a shame murder's illegal really.'

His expression is stony. I don't understand how he flips from being flirty, sarcastic and frustrating – to being furious, angry and downright scary in the space of a few seconds.

'Don't think it'll stop me, Potter.' He hisses.

I'll be honest. He does freak me out just a little when he gets like this, so before he gets any madder, I smirk and blow him a kiss as I depart the scene.

That's exactly what Rose would do.

* * *

ϟ O-O¬

* * *

I see her later when I finally head back to the castle for breakfast. She's sitting at the Slytherin table with Al and Hugo. I think about going over but I know it'll only irritate her, and besides, Malfoy's bound to join them soon.

Sure enough, as I walk into the Great Hall and begin to head over to the Ravenclaw table I see Malfoy sit down opposite her. She gets up almost immediately and joins her best friends Anna, Erin and Mia on the Gryffindor table.

She probably hates him more than I do, and that's saying something.

The ceiling today is clear and white with the odd snowflake falling towards us and disappearing before they can reach us. I have many favourite types of weather … but this has got to be one of them. I love the feeling of being cool and refreshed, and yet not freezing. I'm hoping my friends will agree to a snowball fight later.

I eat a quick breakfast and then leave the Great Hall at the same as Rose in an attempt to bump into her. Which I do.

'Rose, I'm sorry about yesterday …' I say kind of pathetically in an attempt to get her to talk to me again. I know I'm being selfish, but she's a friend of mine as well as a cousin and I hate her being mad at me even if it was my fault.

She rolls her eyes at me. 'Lily, I know you get mad easy and all, but you have such a perfect life. There's nothing to get mad about.'

This pisses me off. Before I can stop myself I'm saying, 'I do _not _have a perfect life, okay? Stop saying that like it's some kind of insult. I _do _appreciate what I've got but you've got far more, Rose.'

She glares at me. 'Fine. If that's what you think, we'll just have to see, won't we?' she snaps.

'What do you mean?' I ask.

She looks around to see if anyone is watching and then drags me into an abandoned classroom.

There is nothing in here but one old desk and a large chalk board with the letters LW and OG written on. It was obviously written a while ago as it is faded and grey rather than white.

The whole room is filled with dust and looks as if it hasn't been used for years.

I look around in interest for a moment before Rose clicks her tongue impatiently and says, '_This _is what I mean.'

Then she takes out her wand and starts muttering things as she waves it around the two of us creating some sort of force field.

I stand there nervously with no idea of what she's about to do. 'Er … Rose …?' I say nervously.

She shushes me and carries on with her elegant wand work.

Only Rose would know how to do this. Whatever _this_ is.

Suddenly my eyes are forced shut and I feel an odd ripping sensation near my heart … only it doesn't hurt quite so much as I expect it to. I have no idea what is going on.

When I finally manage to force my eyes back open, I see myself standing in front of me. I widen my eyes in shock. Has she used Polyjuice potion or something? Rose has become me.

'What the –' I begin to say, but she cuts me off.

'Now we'll see, won't we?' she says. Only it's me saying it. I see my mouth move and hear the words being said in my own voice. I know it's her though, because of what she said and the way she said it.

'Rose … what have you done?' I ask, and then slam my hand over my mouth when I realise the words have come out in her voice.

And it's not _my _hand that I've covered my mouth with. It's paler than mine, and there's less freckles on it.

It's Rose's hand. She is me and I am her.

'I've switched us,' she says proudly, 'let's live a few weeks or months of our lives as the other, and then we'll see.'

'We'll see what …?' I ask slowly, in Rose's voice.

'Who has it worse off. I said I'd appreciate your life for you, and I'm going to. You can sort mine out for me.'

'Rose, what the hell! Switch us back, right now.'

'You see? You can't think my life is all that perfect or you'd _want _to live it.'

'I have my own life to live! It's not perfect but it's me! I'm in the middle of my O.W.L.s, I have to practice Quidditch to get on the team, I have to …' I trail off.

She – or should I say I? - is standing with her – my – hands on her hips. My hips. She's raising her eyebrows. _My _eyebrows.

'You can still play Quidditch, Lily; no one will know you're not me. As for your O.W.L.s, I already know the stuff so I'll be getting you high grades in your lessons, and I'll teach you everything you miss before we switch back.'

I suddenly realise I'm going to have to do all her N.E.W.T work. 'Rose … I can't do your lessons … I can't do O.W.L work let alone N.E.W.T!'

'You'll be fine. You're a Ravenclaw. So here's the deal; you control your anger, because you're me, and you learn to appreciate being you.'

I glare at her. At me. 'And how about you learn to stop being so uptight and have a bit of fun? I always thought the sorting hat got us mixed up. You're the clever one.'

'And you're the pretty, popular, fun one. Yeah, I get it, okay? Let's just help one another out.'

I'm furious. She cannot have my body. She could do whatever she wanted and I would get the blame. She could get me into loads of trouble … she could do whatever she wanted and there would be nothing I could do about it.

'Rose, don't you _dare _get me into trouble. Don't do anything I wouldn't do. Or I will kill you.'

'So you'll do it?' she asks.

'I don't think I have much choice.' I scowl.

'No, you don't.' she agrees, and smiles as she walks out of the room. As _I _walk out of the room. I've never seen what I look like from behind before …

The floor in here is dusty and dirty. My feet feel strange on it as I walk, and then I realise it is because they are not my feet. They are Rose's … and these are not my shoes.

I turn back and look at the writing on the board. I don't recognise the initials.

Suddenly the sun breaks through the clouds outside and the room is lit up for a few seconds and dust is visibly swirling around in the air. I turn again to leave.

I wonder what's going to happen now.

How am I supposed to be Rose when I am Lily? I smile at the thought, remembering that we both have flower names.

Well, the strange little Lily who is generally known for being a little unusual has become a Rose.

And people better watch out because Rose's have thorns, and _this_ Rose, is _not _in a good mood.

* * *

**A/N: (Don't feel you have to read this by the way:)**

**So yeah, I know that switching bodies with somebody is probably completely impossible (even in Harry Potter) unless you use Polyjuice Potion but let's just say for arguments sake that what Rose has done is basically the same as that except it's permanent until the person who cast the spell ... un-casts it if that makes any sense:)**

**I've always wondered what happens when a girl turns into a boy or vise versa, like when Hermione and Fleur became Harry ... it might be a bit awkward if you know what I mean but let's forget about that;)**

**So it's all going to get a little confusing now that they've switched places but please let me know if I'm not being clear about anything:)**

**Thank you so much for your reviews, they literally make my day:) You have no idea how happy I get when I see the little email...;)**  
**If you're enjoying, please keep reviewing! And if not, let me know how I can make it better:)**

**Thank you for reading, I love you all!**

**~Mango**

**[P.S. Little note to 'Cause I'm Cool Like That' if you're reading this, to say thank you for reviewing my poem, made me smile;) And also I think your PenName is the coolest thing ever because I am ALWAYS saying that! :) ~Mango X]**


	3. Revenge is Sweet

Chapter 3 – Revenge is Sweet

...

_**Well it's a big, big city and it's always the same,**_

_**Can never be too pretty, tell me your name,**_

_**Is it out of line, if I was to be bold and say,**_

_**Would you be mine?**_

_**The Fratellis – Whistle for the Choir**_

* * *

**I do not own Harry Potter :(**

* * *

I go up to my common room, only to remember of course that it is no longer my common room. I am furious.

I think Rose is beautiful and whatever, but I don't want to _be_ her. I'm me; I'll never be anyone else. I can't just pretend to be her. I am no good at pretending.

Besides, she's a bitch half the time.

I will get my revenge on her for this. This is the first time I have felt truly angry at her. Usually we fight over stupid, petty stuff and I explode. But this time she's gone too far.

She's taken me away from myself. But she seems to have forgotten that I am now in charge of her body, and just as she could do whatever she wanted with me, I can do whatever I want with her.

And I will think of something bad enough to force her to switch us back.

When I get to the portrait of the Fat Lady I realise I have no idea what the password is. I hope somebody will appear and tell me, but I have no such luck.

What would Rose do?

Well, Rose would never forget the password, but if she had nowhere to be, she would go to the library. So I go to the library. And it is here that I get my great idea.

I go in to find it quite empty. Few people are studying the second day back after Christmas. And anyway it's snowing outside so most people are out there playing in it. But no matter how much I want to join them; Rose would never play in the snow, so neither will I.

Scorpius Malfoy is sitting in the far corner of the library, almost hidden by the shadow of a large bookshelf. When I notice him, I can't help smirking to myself.

There is my great plan.

Rose hates Malfoy, but if I'm going to get revenge on her … I could try and get _him _to like her so when she switches us back she'll have some shit to sort out.

I might just be able to get revenge on him too in the process.

I shudder at the thought of having to flirt with Malfoy … but I remind myself it will be Rose doing it. Not me.

I walk over to him and sit opposite him. He looks annoyed at having been discovered … and surprised that it is Rose who has discovered him.

'What do you want, Weasley?' he asks in an irritated voice. It sounds strange being called Weasley instead of Potter or Loony.

I smile. 'Nothing at all, Malfoy.'

'Well would you mind leaving me alone then? I'm trying to study.'

'I'm not stopping you.' I smirk.

'And I thought I'd finally found myself some peace and quiet.' He mutters.

I lean back in my chair. How to seduce Scorpius Malfoy … one of the most good looking and desirable guys in the school.

Even if he is a bastard.

But then I remember I am Rose Weasley and I can do whatever I want.

I push his books out of the way and he looks up at me in surprise. He is obviously taken aback and doesn't seem to have anything to say.

For once.

I tilt my head slightly to one side, and feel my long hair tumble over my shoulder. It's a nice feeling. I've never had long hair. I give him my best sexy look and wonder how it looks on Rose's face.

To my utter surprise, he smirks.

'Ah.' His eyes seem to sparkle as he watches me. 'Are you trying to flirt with me, Weasley?' he says, 'what's happened this time?'

I clear my throat nervously. What just happened?

'What?' I ask him, trying not to look too shocked.

'Well normally you've just been dumped or something.'

What? What? What? What? What?

What would Rose do?

Rose would swish her beautiful long hair over her shoulder and say something cocky while managing to be incredibly beautiful at the same time. I'm not sure I can pull it off.

I try the hair swishing and then clear my throat and say, 'I have never been _dumped, _Malfoy. What do you mean?'

He just smirks. 'Of course not, Weasley. I –'

'And _why,' _I interrupt him in my best Rose impression, 'are you acting as if we're friends?'

Rose and Malfoy are _not _friends.

At least that's what I thought …

'Fuck no.' he says, scowling, 'We're not _friends, _Weasley, I hate you, you're a bitch. But for some strange reason you seem to like me.' he smirks_. _

Surely not. Surely Rose doesn't _like_ Malfoy?

I clear my throat again. 'I don't _like _you, Malfoy.'

'No, of course not.' But he is still smirking. 'You're just having one of your … um … moods, aren't you?'

I raise my eyebrows. Rose's eyebrows. '_Moods?'_

'When you come and find me for comfort or whatever. You're talking more than usual today.'

'I –' what? I have never been so confused. I realise I am being a little tactless. Rose would obviously know what was going on, but I don't so I have to find out somehow …

'So what if I feel like talking?'

'What's got into you, Weasley? We _don't _talk to each other. We hate each other.'

'I'm just in the mood for talking,' I say giving him a flirtatious smile in the hope that he'll explain himself.

'Well what do you want me to say?' he looks pissed off. I guess he really doesn't like Rose.

'Well why don't you just tell me everything that's … you know … _happened _between us.' I hope to Merlin I am wording this right. I have no idea what's going on and I am sure I am making a fool out of myself. Out of Rose. And besides, I'm not exactly used to trying to be sexy.

I hate Rose for this. Is this really how she normally acts?

I want to be back to myself. I hate having to pretend to be a … I don't know. A bitch.

'I don't get it,' he says bluntly.

'Just talk, Malfoy. Please?' I give him my puppy dog eyes.

He laughs and pushes a lock of Rose's hair behind my ear. Her ear. I feel incredibly uncomfortable. This guy threatened to kill me only yesterday …

'Begging, Weasley? That's another unusual one. What's going on?'

'I don't know.' I say irritably.

It's the truth after all.

'Okay, you really want me to talk? Fine.

'Once upon a time, many years ago in the magical land of platform 9¾ a little girl's dad told her to stay away from a certain little boy. Said boy's dad told him the same thing about her. And now, 6 years later, said girl likes to go against her parent's wishes whenever sheneeds a little comfort.'

Ew. What a disgusting, cocky, man-slag bastard. Rose goes to him when she "needs comfort"? What exactly does he mean by that? Ew. Ew. Ew. This is my cousin we're talking about here.

Ew.

'When I need comfort?' I ask, 'In what way?'

He raises his eyebrows. Shit. If I _was _Rose I'd know the answer to that question.

'Stop acting so dumb.' He says tetchily, 'you just come to me for a snog or whatever, as you know.' He has turned ever so slightly red.

This is messing my brain up trying to get my head round. Do Rose and Malfoy actually _like _one another?

'So are we _in love?_' I ask, trying to joke about the situation as though I already know the answer. But I really, really don't.

'No. No, no, no, no, no. No, Weasley, I hate you, haven't we established that? You just decided I would be the best person to turn to for comfort because you hate me, so there's no strings attached. What's with all the questions?'

Ew.

Fuck this. I think I need to have a little word with Cousin Rosie.

I look up at Malfoy through my eyelashes and try to think of a way to leave.

He looks straight back at me with the hint of a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. 'You're in a strange mood today, but I'll let it slide.' I just watch him, with no idea what to say. 'But next time,' he leans is close so I can feel his breath on my face, 'don't talk to me because dammit you're a fucking bitch and I don't want to end up as your friend.'

My heart skips about 100 beats. How can the guy I despise so much suddenly seem so downright sexy to me?

I very nearly gulp at the fire in his eyes as he watches me.

Does he talk to Rose like this all the time? Why the fuck does she _go to him for comfort _if he's this damn tight to her?

I suppose it's because he's so damn sexy too…

Dammit I did _not _just think that.

'You think I _want _you to be my friend?' I ask, trying to sound smug and failing because I feel so shaken up and so bloody furious at Rose.

'I wouldn't be surprised.' he says, turning back to his work.

I suddenly feel incredibly awkward.

What the hell just happened?

I need to go and shout at Rose but I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to leave.

After a few seconds, I get up, swing my – Rose's – bag over my shoulder and say, 'See you round, Malfoy.'

He looks up for a fraction of a second and raises his eyebrows, then turns back to his book.

I glare at nothing in particular and storm out to try and find Rose.

She has got some major explaining to do.

* * *

**A/N: Okay so I think _I _probably have some explaining to do too haha:)**

**I know a couple of people didn't want Lily to be Rose because we're all Lily/Scorp fans here, but yeah, as you can see ... Rose and Scorp are a _little _familiar with one another, and because Rose is a bitch (that will all be explained later) he hates her, but because he's arrogant and Draco Malfoy's son, and Rose is like super bossy and controlling, he just kind of lets her ...  
****Basically he _is _a bit of an idiot but the NEW Rose, is gonna try and teach him how to behave:) And yeah, Lily is way more awesome than Rose so, you know:) I don't wanna spoil it, but I thought I should give you my excuse as to why I've switched them, and it won't be for forever either, there's only a few more chapters like this I think:)**

**I just wanted to try something that I don't think has been done before, I hope you guys are still enjoying it:)**

**Also, I've done like a one-shot about Al's first day at Hogwarts which _should _explain why I've put him in Slytherin:) That'll probably be up tomorrow if anyone's interested:)**

**Anyways, thanks so much for your reviews and everything as always, I love you all! :)**

**~Mango**

**[To 'Cause I'm Cool Like That', I didn't think I could ignore your review:) You made MY day;) I'm glad you're enjoying it! Keep Reading;) Thanks for the review! :D ~Mango X]**


	4. Roses are Red

Chapter 4 – Roses are Red

...

**_When she was just a girl, she expected the world,_**

**_But it flew away from her reach, so she ran away in her sleep,_**

**_And dreamed of para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise_**

**_Para-para-paradise, every time she closed her eyes._**

******_Coldplay – Paradise_**

* * *

**If you hadn't already worked it out then guess what? I don't own Harry Potter ;)**

**Also, this is a lovely long chapter for once! :) Enjoy X**

* * *

I know I _should_ make my way to Rose's first lesson – potions – but I have to find her first.

This isn't something I can exactly keep inside until break

When she told me she was messed up I didn't think for one second she meant this. Surely she knew I'd find out if she switched us? Did she _want_ me to find out?

I know _I _am supposed to have Care of Magical Creatures first today, so that will be where Rose is headed. I wait by the door out of the castle where my class are making their way down to Hagrid's hut. When I see her I am momentarily stunned because I've almost forgotten it is _me _I am looking for. It is so strange seeing myself wandering down the hallway talking to my friends.

'Ro – Lily!' I call, and cringe at the sound of my own name. I've never had to call myself before …

She looks up and sees me. I think she recognises the angry fire in my eyes – her eyes – even if I'm not actually me.

'Hi … Rose …' she says as she comes over. 'Are you okay?'

As soon as she is close enough to me I grab her robes and push her into an empty classroom nearby.

'What the hell, Lily?' she hisses at me. 'I have _your _lesson to go to if you've forgotten.'

'Be late then. I'm always late.'

'What's got you all fired up?' she asks, irritated.

'You.' I glare at her threateningly. 'You- my cousin and my friend – kissing … none other than the bastard Scorpius Malfoy we are _both _supposed to hate and then you expect me to _not _find out about it when you shove me inside your blasted body.'

She falls silent. For once, she has nothing to say. My freckly cheeks turn a pale pink I've only ever seen on Rose's face before. I hate seeing myself look so guilty when obviously it is her, not me, with that expression on her face. My face. Whichever way you look at it.

'Lily – I –' she falters.

I raise my eyebrows and give her a cold look. 'You honestly didn't expect me to find out?'

'Well no … I mean … it's not like that Lily! He's just … argh … you must get that he's like …good looking and that, right?' I raise my eyebrows again. 'Lily, don't deny it.'

'So you make out with the guy you're supposed to hate because he's _"good looking"_?'

'Stop saying I'm _supposed _to hate him. That's bullshit. And anyway I _do _hate him. When I feel low or whatever he just … you know …'

'That's what he told me.' I say tonelessly.

'For Merlin's sake, Lily, what were you talking to him about? Stop all this trying to make me look bad. I'm a teenager aren't I? He gets me going like none of my actual boyfriends have ever been able to. I don't _love _him, I don't even like him! He's just … well, he's hot and it makes me feel better when I feel shit, okay?'

'Okay? No, Rose, it's not fucking _okay. _Are you really that much of a whore that you'd kiss someone you _hate _just because you were feeling _"low"_?'

'Don't call me a fucking whore. I can do whatever I want with my life, you don't understand me. He's a good kisser, Lily, he makes me feel wanted when I feel the exact opposite. Anyway people weren't supposed to find out.'

'I think you made it my business when you turned me into you! Seriously, how did you expect this to stay a secret while I was in your body?'

'I don't know what he said to you, Lily, or how you found out, but nothing ever happens between us unless I start it. That way he's not using me, I'm using him. So really, the only way you could've found out is if you were flirting with him.'

I feel my ears heat up just a little. Ah. She wasn't supposed to know about that. But still, what she's done is far worse.

'There, you see, you were flirting with him, weren't you? So you get it. He's good looking even if he is a bastard. It doesn't mean anything, okay?'

'Stop asking if it's okay. It's never going to be okay. You just wait 'till your brother finds out.' I snap and then I storm out of the classroom so as not to be too late for potions.

To my annoyance, Rose is safe in the knowledge that I will not be telling her brother any time soon as I am her, and telling her brother would get me into trouble, not her.

* * *

ϟ O-O¬

* * *

I think over my options. I now have even more of a reason to get back at Rose.

I think I'm best off sticking to the original plan. If he falls in love with her she'll have to deal with his wrath … and dammit Scorpius Malfoy is scary when he's angry.

Even if she thinks he's _hot, _she doesn't _love _him.

It's the best plan I've got, and in the meantime I'll have to make do with pranks from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and anything else I can think of that will piss her off without making a fool out of the person people think she is – i.e. me.

So how will I go about this? I've never made anyone fall in love with me before.

I mean, I'm 15. It makes it ever so slightly worse that he is a year older than me.

But then again, he is not a year older than Rose and I am Rose.

Yes. I am Rose Weasley and if I want Scorpius Malfoy to fall in love with me then that is exactly what is going to happen.

I realise that I am going to be late for potions now, but I don't even care. Being late for potions will get Rose into trouble not me and it serves her right.

I dawdle on my way to the dungeons. I have too many things to think about. I don't want to be Rose.

But if I wasn't I wouldn't be able to get my revenge.

Malfoy is in Rose's potions class, so when I get there I guess I can start …

But how? How do I start? Dammit this is never going to work.

I want to talk to Hugo, but Hugo is no longer my best friend. As long as I am in Rose's body, he is my brother.

I almost skip potions. When I am in moods like this, going to lessons is _not _a good idea. But I'm a good girl somewhere inside, and I'm no good at skiving.

I look out the window and see the snow has stopped and the sky has turned from clear white to a pale and unfriendly grey.

Suddenly I see my Rose's owl, Snitch, tapping gently on the window trying to get my attention. I am surprised he doesn't realise I am not Rose, but Lily. I let him in anyway and he drops a letter addressed to Rose in my hand.

I thank him and then wonder what to do with it. I wouldn't feel right reading Rose's post but I'm nosy, I'm in a mood with her _and _Snitch is pecking me gently in a request that I open it and send some sort of reply.

I sigh, and feeling a bit bitchy, but intrigued, I open it.

_Rose,_

_I hope you're settling back in okay. Hugo says you had a fight with Lily. I know she can get a bit fiery at times but that's just who she is. I hate the thought of you two falling out._

_I just wanted to remind you that it's Aunt Audrey's birthday in a couple of weeks so could you and Hugo please send her something small? I don't want Percy to think we've forgotten again._

_All is fine here; I've been making a lot of progress with that campaign I told you about …_

Her mum goes on to talk about work and stuff that I don't really understand. It's not my business anyhow.

I give the letter back to Snitch and tell him to take it to Lily.

I hope she doesn't think that through this I have forgiven her. Because I haven't. I am simply giving her her post.

I'm glad I read it in a way because otherwise I never would have remembered it was Aunt Audrey's birthday.

Being part of the Weasley-Potter clan means you have so many millions of family members it is almost impossible to remember all of their birthdays. Fortunately I am pretty certain that Audrey is the only one with a birthday this month. The majority of us have summer birthdays.

I'm going to be so late for potions.

* * *

ϟ O-O¬

* * *

I end up being nearly 15 minutes late and I lose 10 points for Gryffindor. I try not to smirk at this as I realise loosing house points will be a _great _way to annoy Rose as I'm not even in the same house as her.

Professor Bones asks me to take my seat and I look around nervously wondering where Rose sits, before realising that the only spare seat is beside Malfoy.

Of course it is.

One of Rose's best friends, Erin, gives me a sympathetic look as I walk over to his desk. He smirks at me. Ew.

Why are Rose and Malfoy paired with one another anyway?

'Now, class,' Professor Bones says, 'I know not all of you are happy with your new pairings,' she gives me and Malfoy a pointed glance, and another at Erin and her partner who is a Slytherin girl called Natalie Sloper.

'But it's a new year, and I need you all to be with people of a similar ability to yourselves in order for you to understand the N.E.W.T work.'

Oh. Right. Of course.

Rose and Malfoy are by far the smartest in their year and now I have to live up to that expectation when I _know _I'll be useless at whatever it is we're asked to do.

I've always been rubbish at potions, and anyhow, I'm a year younger than everyone else here and haven't even sat my O. yet. Not that they know that.

It's strange really. Rose is so unbelievably smart, and yet she's a Gryffindor, whereas I am only really averagely smart … and I'm a Ravenclaw.

Although saying that, Rose is brave too. She'll do anything to get what she wants and to stand up for what she believes in. Gryffindor is good for her even if she is a genius.

I guess she takes after her mum.

My dad says I am in Ravenclaw not because I am clever – although I'm not thick either – but because I understand things. I have good logic and I understand people and emotions more than others.

I think it may have something to do with why I like Care of Magical Creatures. I understand the animals and I love learning about them.

People just get on my nerves.

It's so weird being in this class. I don't even know half the people in here. I begin to worry about what Professor Bones is going to make us do; knowing my luck it'll be some ridiculously difficult N.E.W.T. level thing which I have no hope of brewing successfully.

The worst thing is; if I was Rose, I would be able to do it with my eyes shut. Maybe it's a good thing I've been paired with one of the smartest guys in Rose's year, even if I do hate him.

Professor Bones gives us a page number in the text book and tells us to give it a go. Malfoy flicks to this page and I notice the title _Amortentia. _

Brilliant.

We have to brew the most powerful love potion of all time.

The hardest thing I've ever made is a forgetfulness potion.

I decide my best bet is to act either lazy or distracted, so people don't wonder why I can't make the potion. Malfoy starts making it, while I sit back in my chair and watch him.

'Going to help, Weasley?' he asks, sounding vaguely pissed off.

'Do you want me to?' I ask seductively, smirking at him. I love knowing that I have Rose's sparkling blue eyes now…

He glares at me and whispers, 'stop it, Weasley. We're in the middle of a lesson.'

I carry on smirking. 'We don't have to be.'

He looks furious.

Making him fall in love with me is going to be near enough impossible.

He rolls his eyes, ignores me and goes back to making the potion.

Hmmm. How to go about this.

'Weasley, can you help out a bit or are you worried about breaking your precious fingernails?'

I shoot him an annoyed and vaguely confused look. Is Rose really that pretentious?

'Fine.' I snap, 'I'll help. What do I do?'

'Er… duh. Look at the board, princess.'

I hate the way he is talking to me. Is he always this patronizing? I can tell I have put him in a bad mood.

Oops. Well, infuriating Malfoy is one of my specialities.

'Mmm, how long have you been calling me princess?' I ask with a small smile.

He glares at me and leans in until are faces are very close together. 'Weasley, you're not usually one for pissing me off. Please leave that to the Potter girl.'

I immediately feel stupidly angry that he referred to me as the Potter girl so before I can do anything about it my temper has got the best of me and I have said in a most un-Rose-ish manner, '"_The Potter Girl _has a name – Lily – and since she is my cousin I think you should shut up about her. And anyway, Malfoy, I enjoy pissing you off because you're a Slytherin bastard and you deserve everything you get.'

He looks extremely taken aback. I guess Rose doesn't really talk to him like that … I really hope I didn't just give myself away.

Like I said, I just can't control my temper where Malfoy is concerned.

Fortunately, he smiles. 'Well this is a new angle, Weasley; I like you more as an angry bitch than a snotty princess.'

I know I took a risk yelling at him, but him making a comment like that has seriously infuriated me and so before I know it, I am doing the same thing again. 'I am _not _an angry bitch and I have never been a snotty fucking _princess._'

'Oh come on, Weasley. You're so obsessive over your appearance and your popularity status; you just need to chill out a bit. At least you firing up is a change from your superior attitude. It makes you more real.'

'How can a person be more real?' I ask him irritably.

'Oh, Weasley, you wouldn't understand. Merlin, I hate you.' Then with a pissed off expression on his face he returns to making the potion and I return to watching him do it.

* * *

ϟ O-O¬

* * *

Rose comes to see me at the end of the day. I am in the Gryffindor common room with her best friends trying to act more like her.

I decide I like the Gryffindor common room. It is obviously one of the few places I haven't been before – being a Ravenclaw – but it is cosy and comfortable and I think I could get used to hanging out here. We are sitting beside a beautiful blazing fire on big scarlet sofas and arm chairs, when Ryan comes in and says, 'Hey Rose, Lily wants you again.'

I don't _want _to go down and see her because I'm in a mood with her and because whenever I speak to her as me I feel totally freaked out that it is my own face I am looking at. But I go anyway because Ryan is watching me expectantly and I can't just leave her waiting out there.

'I wanted to say sorry.' She says as soon as she sees me.

I laugh harshly and turn to leave. I really don't want to talk to her because I know I'll blow up like always and I could really do without that right now.

'Lily, hear me out. I'm _16 _and I find this guy in my year quite attractive. The fact that we hate each other and our families would kill us if they found out makes him all the more attractive because I'm a _teenager _and I have _hormones _and Merlin knows I never thought I'd be explaining this to _you, _Lily, but sometimes it's good to just get rid of those hormones on someone you _know _it isn't going to mean anything to because you're both using one another.

'I know it's hard for you to understand but boys have given me a lot of shit in the past and it's just nice to have a bit of fun without all the strings of a relationship. I don't expect you to get it. It's not like you've exactly had many boyfriends, but just don't judge me so much for it and for Merlin's sake don't tell anyone.'

'Whatever, Rose. I'd have thought the least you could do would be to tell me before sticking me in this situation, so if you're not here to switch us back then fuck off.'

She glares at me. 'I'm not switching us back. We had a deal.'

'Fuck off then.'

She does.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you're enjoying! Don't worry, there's only a little more to happen before they switch back:) Should be in the next couple of chapters:)  
**

**As you can see, our lovely Scorpius has begun to realise he likes Lily more than Rose, even though he doesn't know it's Lily...;) Obviously because Lily is awesome;)**

**Also, guess what? There is a SALE at River Island and I found this teeny bracelet with a scorpion on it and it's so immensely cute and I know it's seriously weird that I bought it because of the whole Scorpius thing and you're all going to think I'm deluded but it's so cute! My life is being taken over by fanfiction ... ;)**

**Anywaaayy, thank you for the lovely reviews, you guys are so awesome!**

**~Mango :)**


	5. Raindrops on Roses

Chapter 5 – Raindrops on Roses

...

_**This love has taken its toll on me,**_

_**She said goodbye too many times before.**_

_**And her heart is breaking in front of me,**_

_**I have no choice, 'cause I won't say goodbye anymore.**_

_**Maroon 5 – This Love**_

* * *

**I don't own Harry Potter ... *sobs hysterically***

* * *

I am now way too annoyed and angry at everyone and everything to go back into the common room. I know I'll just end up yelling at all Rose's friends and even though it would piss her off it's not exactly a good idea.

It has started to rain a little. I don't really mind. I head outside anyway because it's cold and refreshing and it makes my mind feel less fucked up.

I feel like my brain is a load of metal gears and cogs and all this confusion and anger has got them spinning around so fast they're all heating up from the friction.

It feels like my mind is burning.

I let the rain cool me down and I steady my breathing and try to relax. I don't know why I get like this.

I go down to the Quidditch pitch because flying releases all my stupid pissed off energy and Rose has a really good broom which I've just realised I can use now without it looking suspicious.

She won't be happy, but what can she do?

Unfortunately, Malfoy is standing by the broomstick shed again.

Just the sight of him infuriates me and I want nothing more than to blow up the entire school and kill all the damned people in it.

Godric, I really, really need to get on a broomstick. Why is it that Malfoy keeps hanging out here anyway?

'What the hell are you doing here_, _Malfoy?' I ask him angrily.

'I thought you'd come by, and I figured it's your turn.'

'My turn what?' I ask him, trying not to be too snappy. I start searching for Rose's broom. I don't even know if she keeps it in here. Maybe I will be riding mine after all.

'To talk.' I look up and he is staring down at me with a strange expression I don't recognise.

'What do you want to know?' I ask warily.

'What's happened. Why you've changed.'

'I haven't changed.' I glare at him. How has _he _noticed when nobody else has?

'Uh-huh.' He nods, but I can tell he is humouring me. 'So … if I did this … you'd still let me?' he asks, and runs his hand down my jaw line gently.

I push his hand away.

'Exactly.' He says with a smirk. 'You've changed. I like the new you much more.'

'I _haven't _changed.' I say again.

'Sure.' He says, and then his eyes seem to blaze as he stares at me in the dim light.

I suddenly feel very scared. I do not want him to kiss me.

Not that I have much choice.

Before I can stop him he has me pinned against the wall of the shed and he is kissing me in a way I have never been kissed before.

Not that I've been kissed many times before at all.

His hands are pressed against the wall and his body is against mine. Our mouths lock and he pushes with so much passion and desperation I begin to wonder whether I should stop before I start enjoying it.

He tastes of peppermint. Oh shit.

I push him off me and try my best to glare at him and ignore the damned butterflies in my stomach. 'Malfoy, maybe you're right. Maybe I have changed. I'm not a stupid little whore who's just going to let you kiss me for no reason.'

I feel a bit bad calling Rose a stupid little whore … but she'll probably never find out.

He only looks all the more triumphant. 'Tell me what's happened then! Dammit, Weasley, I can't understand this but suddenly the girl I hated hates me even more and I suddenly find myself liking her! Hell, you even kiss better than before.'

I glare at him.

Perhaps making Malfoy love Rose isn't going to be so difficult after all. But now, I'm not so sure that's what I want to do.

'Is it because you like me?' he asks. He's smirking. His usual arrogant self. Of course he thinks I like him; he thinks he's God's gift to women. But there's something else there.

Something that looks a lot like hope.

There are two voices yelling in my mind. One is saying _Don't You Dare, Lily, This Is The Guy You Hate And You'll Only End Up Falling For Him And Getting Your Heart Broken. _The other one is – unfortunately – saying _Dammit, Lily, Just Go For It. He's Fucking Sexy And This Was Your Plan After All, Right?_

And even more unfortunately, I listen to the latter and join our lips once more in way of an answer.

I tell myself this is my revenge. He is going to fall for Rose and she is going to have to deal with the consequences of it.

Or so I hope.

Right now all I can concentrate on is the taste and the feel of Malfoy's lips on mine. His tongue rolls over them gently and I open them immediately realising what he wants. Our tongues battle and our hands run through each other's hair and I keep thinking how un-Lily-ish this is. I would never normally find a guy attractive in this way.

I'm a boyfriend/girlfriend type of girl. The type of girl who likes to get to know a guy, to hold his hand, to do weird and crazy and romantic things … not make out behind the broomstick shed with my worst enemy.

I pull away at this realisation and say, 'stop.'

He looks at me questioningly and I sigh in irritation.

What would Rose Do?

I hardly know Rose anymore, but from what I know now, it sounds like she'd just keep going with the kissing. I'm not going to do that.

'I'm not this kind of girl, Scorpius.' I say.

_Scorpius. Oh shit. _Did I actually just call him_ Scorpius?_

He raises his eyebrows. 'You _were._'

'This is different.' I say, trying to explain myself while still keeping Rose's past in mind. 'Normally I'd come to you because something crap has happened and Merlin I hate to admit it but you make me feel better.' I try to voice Rose's words from before. I'm beginning to think I understand her.

'But yes, I _have _changed and if you want me you're going to have to do this properly.'

'I'm not going to _woo _you if that's what you mean, Weasley. I don't want you to be my fucking girlfriend.' His eyes have suddenly turned cold.

I curse inwardly.

'I never said you did. I just don't like being shoved against a wall and snogged with no say in the matter.'

To my surprise, the corners of his lips twitch up, ever-so-slightly.

'I don't care if you hate me, Weasley, I like your new take on things.' He is staring at me, looking confused, pissed off, and somewhat admiring. I don't know what to think.

'Talk some more.' I say, and then I sit down on the grass and pull him down beside me. 'Tell me how this started because honestly I don't really remember.'

Is that a good enough excuse to get him talking?

'It wasn't _that _long ago, Weasley. Why do you keep asking me to talk?'

'Because like I said, you're right, I did change over Christmas, and I want to know what's going on. Properly.'

'You _do _know. You're the only other person in the world that _does_ know!'

'I don't, Malfoy, I really don't. My mind is so fucked up right now and I have a feeling Lily has been using her forgetfulness potion on me. And Merlin I _want _to hear the story!'

Wait – why did I just blame myself for this? How much of an idiot am I? I hope he buys it. I really want to know what's going on.

He suddenly leans in and kisses me furiously and once again I don't stop him.

'Fine. I'll talk.'

* * *

ϟ O-O¬

* * *

'That first day, Weasley, when our father's told us to keep away from one another, you left your family on the train and you came and sat with me for about half an hour or so. You told me your father hated me, and I told you my father hated you.

'We bickered and fought, but we both knew you'd only come to see me to do exactly what your father had told you not to do.

'We barely acknowledged each other that year, except snide comments about one another's families.

'I guess it was when Lily started a year later that we began to truly despise each other. Lily hated me for being a Pure-blood, a Malfoy, a Slytherin, and a friend of her brother's. She didn't hide it either.

'We would fight and fight, and since you didn't really like me anyhow and Lily was your baby cousin, you sided with her and we began to hate one another just as much as Lily and I did.

'Then last year that git Joe Abercrombie dumped you and you felt like a pile of shit and it was me you happened to see first. I mean, I didn't like you, you didn't like me, but things just happened. No strings attached. You were just like me.

'We didn't speak about it after, we went around our lives as if nothing had happened, and then after that, whenever someone broke your heart, or you fell out with your family, or anything like that really, you'd come to me and I'd know exactly what you wanted. It's a shame you were such a bitch.

'But now, suddenly you're _talking _to me, and you're not being all pretentious and snotty and superior and annoying and bitchy and Merlin knows if I let some beautiful whore kiss me, I don't know what I'm going to do now you're actually acting like a real person.

'What changed, Weasley? What changed? You're not you anymore.'

I guess my act wasn't quite as good as I had thought it was.

Still, I'm not going to admit who I really am.

'I guess I had my heart broken one too many times, Malfoy, so I changed. Simple as. The girl you knew and hated is gone.'

For now.

He looks at me for a while, half confused, half interested. 'So you want me to like you then?'

'Hell no, Malfoy.' I say with a small smile.

And then I realise I'm not so sure anymore.

That's what I wanted after all, right?

I wanted Scorpius Malfoy to fall in love with Rose Weasley. But now … now I'm convinced that if he falls, I'm going straight down with him.

* * *

ϟ O-O¬

* * *

My mind is going mental. I don't know what to think about anything anymore. To start with I hated the stupid Slytherin bastard, and in revenge on Rose, I hunted him down to flirt with him.

Then he did it back and I was totally disgusted at the idea and furious at Rose.

Then I went back to him and freaked out that he was a good enough kisser that I might eventually _fall in love with him_.

As if that's going to happen.

I want to talk to Hugo because Hugo is one of my best friends … but now I am Rose he is my brother, so I can't just go and cry on his shoulder for comfort.

Rose and Hugo fight. A lot.

What would Rose do?

Rose would go to one of _her _best friends and I know for a fact it wouldn't be Anna or Erin or Mia or any of her girly friends.

It would be Al.

Al is sensible and level-headed and someone Rose really trusts.

I know this because he is my brother and she is my cousin. I love Al very dearly, but I wouldn't want to talk to him in times of trouble because, well, like I said; he's my brother.

But that is what Rose would do. And I am Rose so it is what I will do.

I head back to the Gryffindor common room to get the marauder's map from James' dormitory because Al is very mysterious and no one ever knows where he will be. Fortunately no one else is in the 7th year Gryffindor boy's dormitory, and I eventually find the map in James' half-packed suitcase and I see that Al is alone by the lake.

This is what I mean about Al.

It's freezing cold mid-January and it's raining outside, and yet he is out by the lake by himself.

I don't know what I will tell him.

I can't tell him everything because he would kill Rose _and _Malfoy if he knew they'd kissed. I will just talk to him for some comfort.

I know he can give good advice, I would just never personally ask him for any because he's my brother and that's just what we're like.

I put a Rose's thickest robes on over my uniform and wrap her Gryffindor scarf around my neck. It feels strange to be wearing red and gold rather than blue and bronze.

I head down to the lake and find that the rain is quite nice really. It's not hailing or anything, just gently raining. I am not cold with all these layers on anyway.

It cools down my brain again which is nice. I wish it would rain more often.

The sky is hidden by grey clouds and I can see the sun attempting to push its way through but failing. I can see the shimmering green grey of the lake long before I reach it, and fortunately Al is still beside it. He doesn't see me as I walk over.

He is leaning back on his elbows, wearing only a thin white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, which is soaked through, and his trousers. His messy black hair is dripping but he looks completely content.

Al is strange like that.

Even though he does not turn to see me, I can tell he registers that I am there as his expression lightens and he sits up and faces the lake, staring out into the misty distance.

'Hi, Lily.' He says, and I begin to think he is a psychic. He hasn't turned around or looked at me once, and yet he knows it is me.

Saying that, if he did turn around to look at me, he would see Rose, not Lily.

He wraps his half-bare arms around his wet knees and shakes his head gently, causing some of the rain to drip off onto the grass. 'You thought Rose wouldn't have told me?' he asks, and then he turns around to face me for the first time.

He pats the grass beside him and gestures for me to sit down. 'Of course she told me. I'm probably the only person she trusts.'

I'm quite confused now … Rose told Albus what? That she had switched us?

'How're you doing then little sis'?' he asks with a smile. Damn I love my brother.

'Not so great.' I admit. 'I miss being me.'

'I bet you do.' He agrees, and he puts his arm around me. It's nice. Al is a great big brother, and it's such a relief to find someone who knows who I am.

Someone who doesn't think I am Rose.

I rest my – Rose's – head on Al's shoulder.

'What's going on then?' Al asks, and I know I can't lie to him. I just won't tell him the whole truth.

'Malfoy.' I say, and he understands.

He says nothing. He hates it when his family fight with Scorpius, because they get on most of the time and he hates them for judging Slytherins when he himself is one, but he doesn't comment. He's a good guy really, and he can tell I don't want to talk about it.

The rain begins to fall a little heavier and we both look up as the clouds begin to open. The little drops splash on our faces, but us being a little weirder than most, both start smiling at this. 'You'll be okay, Lil',' he says, 'you just wait and see.'

* * *

ϟ O-O¬

* * *

I've never spent this much time with my brother before, and I'm really beginning to appreciate him. He's the only other one in the family who is a bit like me.

Victoire and Dominique were the unbelievably beautiful part-veelas who had the world wrapped around their fingers, although both of them and their brother Louis have left now. Victoire is training to be a teacher; she wants to come back here. That will be nice, but it's a good thing she's got Teddy or she'd probably be harassed by all the students. Dominique is training to be an Auror with my dad, and Louis – who only finished last year – is taking a gap year with Uncle Charlie in Romania. He wants to work with dragons.

Molly is basically a bitch, Lucy is the youngest of the clan and will do anything anyone tells her to, Fred is a joker, Roxy is a party animal, and Hugo and James are both jokers and rebels too … so that leaves me and Al.

I don't know how you'd describe us.

I mean, we're not the _same _at all. We're just both the less … I don't know … obvious ones. Al is mysterious, good looking and quiet. He cares so much for his family and his friends and he'll do anything for anyone really. He's a brilliant guy.

I'm not so quiet of course, I'm usually the one getting into fights, but I'm different like he is. In a way.

I enjoy my own company more than most people's and Al understands that.

I want a perfect fairy tale life but it's never going to happen. I think I'll start trying to be more like Al.

We sit in silence for quite a while. I never really know what to say to Al, and I think he knows I'd rather not say anything at all, so we just watch the greying sky and let the rain fall over our heads.

'Why are you here?' I ask him after a while. My curiosity always gets the better of me.

He smiles. 'It's nice, don't you think?'

I nod. I could never have worked out why he'd want to be sitting outside by the lake wearing hardly anything in the middle of winter. But now I'm here, I agree with him. It is nice.

'You look just like Rose.' He laughs.

I glare at him. 'Not funny.' I say, and then I find myself laughing anyway because that is such a Lily thing to say and I've just realised it actually feels really strange being able to be me again.

I don't think I'd noticed until now how much effort I was putting into pretending to be Rose.

'See? You're still you, Lil'.' He says.

I've never really liked the name Lil'. Some bitch at our primary school used to call me lil' Lil' as in 'little Lily' because I was small. For some strange reason, though, I don't mind James and Al calling me it. I suppose it's because with them I know they're not taking the mick.

Anyway, Al calling me Lil' just makes him seem more big-brotherly.

'Merlin, I fucking hate being trapped in Rose's body!' I exclaim suddenly. 'Please tell her to get me out of this, Al!'

He gives me a look when I swear and I remember I probably shouldn't in front of him.

'No one can make Rose do anything she doesn't want to do.' he says. 'She'll come round, but she's always been jealous of you, you know. She's probably loving every second of being you.'

'But _why _is she jealous of me?' I am exasperated. '_She's _the pretty one, Al, _she's _the smart one, _she's _the one everyone loves, _she's _the one on the quidditch team with the expensive broomstick, _she's _the one who has every damn thing she wants and yet … she's not happy.'

'Material possessions are not what make a person happy, Lil'. She wants a fresh start is all, and she thinks she can do that through you. She'll soon see that she's wrong.'

'Why does she want a fresh start?' I ask, softer, perhaps I ought to feel sorry for her. I just can't work her out.

'She thinks she's mucked everything up. Yes, she's pretty, but she doesn't like being seen as a beautiful object rather than a person. She doesn't like that no one can beat her at anything, she feels bad. She may have it all, but what she wants is happiness.'

I give him a confused look. I still don't understand.

He lies back on the grass and continues.

'When Rose Weasley started at Hogwarts she was beautiful and confident and excited. She knew she could get whatever she wanted. The hat wanted to put her in Ravenclaw, but Rose wanted to be put in Gryffindor like her parents, so she was. She wanted people to recognise her, to know who she was, so she began to obsess over her appearance and only make friends with those she _knew _would begin to form the 'popular' crowd.

'She thought she had it great, and then she realised that being seen as a beautiful, over-popular, clever girl who had everything, made her disliked by people. A lot of it was jealousy; a lot of it was just people who hated her attitude, hated the way she walked round as if she owned the place, hated the way she looked down on people.

'Then as she began to realise she'd started off all wrong, pretending to be someone she wasn't, she noticed you. Little old Cousin Lily. You were always yourself, never gave a damn what anyone thought of you and you were so happy. You made _real _friends who liked you for you not your popularity.

'And Lily, you _are _pretty. You are _so _pretty. Rose couldn't stop comparing herself to you. You were in Ravenclaw, the house she was supposed to be in, and you were everything she wanted to be. You complaining about what you had infuriated her and so she switched you.

'She wanted you to know how she felt, and she wanted to be you more than anything, so it was the perfect solution. I know it's not great for you, but you have to sympathise with her. A little.'

'How do you know all this?' I ask quietly.

I am beginning to feel guilty. I didn't know any of this. This must be why she said Malfoy makes her feel good. I guess even though he doesn't _love _her or _care about _her, she enjoys the feeling of being wanted.

I will have to go and speak to her. I feel like such a bitch.

'She tells me, Lil'. She trusts me with stuff because I'm not a judgemental person and I'm her cousin, so I'd never hate her. That's why she told me what she'd done.'

'I think I'd better go see her.' I say quietly.

He nods. 'Sure. I'll see you around 'Lil.'

As I am walking away the clouds seem to tear open and suddenly the world is grey and there is rain everywhere.

I look back at Al. He is smiling and lying down on the grass as the rain soaks through his shirt.

Merlin, my brother is awesome.

* * *

**A/N: I _know _you all want Lily back, so I'm putting the next chapter up in about 5 minutes which will be the one where they switch back:) I really hope you don't mind me dragging this on a bit, I just think Rose would be unwilling to switch back straight away, and I wanted to make Lily and Scorp sort of friends before they did:)  
**

**Please forgive me!**

**Anyway, next chapter is on its way and from there on out it's pure LilyScorp:)**

**Please take the time to review this one before reading the next though, I really want to know what you all think and it completely makes my day when I get reviews!**

**I'll get on with putting the next chapter up then:) Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing and sticking me on your alert list and everything, it means so much! You all rock.**

**~Mango :)**


	6. The Drawbacks of Quidditch

Chapter 6 – The Drawbacks of Quidditch

...

_**I hope that you see right through my walls,**_

_**I hope that you catch me because I'm already falling.**_

_**I'll never let a love get so close,**_

_**You put your arms around me and I'm home.**_

_**Christina Perri – Arms**_

* * *

**I don't own Harry Potter ... I probably wouldn't spend my time writing fanfiction if I did;)**

* * *

I find Rose in the library. This is strange because it is me sitting in the library and I know I would never really go to the library for the sake of it.

She looks up at me worriedly. The last time I spoke to her I told her to fuck off.

'Hey.' I say nervously as I sit down beside her.

She just nods. She doesn't look very happy.

'Look, Rose, I'm sorry, okay? I thought over what you said, and I've been talking to Al, and well, I guess I understand now. I'm sorry I got mad, and I'm sorry I complained about my life and made you switch us.'

She looks shocked. That obviously wasn't what she was expecting me to say.

'I'm sorry too.' She says quietly.

There is a moment of awkward silence.

'What happens now?' I ask her quietly after a while.

'Can I stay as you? Just for a bit?' she asks. 'There's a Quidditch match coming up … I thought maybe after …?'

She trails off seeing my devastated expression. 'I can't play Quidditch in front of everyone, Rose!' I say.

'Please?' she says quietly, and although I hate her most of the time, after speaking to Al I just feel too guilty to say no.

* * *

ϟ O-O¬

* * *

Over the next few weeks I begin to get more used to being Rose. I forget exactly what it is like being Lily.

I get used to the N.E.W.T. work. I can't do it, not really, but when things are explained to me a few times I get used to the logic behind them. I don't think I'm letting Rose down too much.

We finish the Amortentia and annoyingly I don't even recognise the scent coming from it which attracts me so much. Perhaps it is Rose's favourite smell, not mine.

We start meeting in the library most days so she can keep up with her work and she teaches me everything I have been missing.

I find that Rose's 'friends' are all annoying and self-centred, but I just keep out of their way as much as I can get away with.

The upcoming Quidditch match is against Hufflepuff and I will be playing Rose's position as seeker. I've always loved flying, and Quidditch, but I am no Rose.

I beg her to switch us back before the match but she says she doesn't want to play. I tell James – the Gryffindor Quidditch captain – that I want him to use a substitute but he ignores me.

Rose would never miss a chance to play. Or so he thinks.

I spend as much time as possible training because I am terrified of the whole school seeing me fail miserably.

Malfoy-wise I have kept my distance, but I know he is confused and cross, and he keeps glaring at me whenever he can.

I guess it's because we haven't really spoken since the incident on the Quidditch pitch. I've been avoiding him because I'm scared, and _he _has _no _idea what's going on.

I promised myself I'd explain to him, but I don't know if I can.

* * *

ϟ O-O¬

* * *

It is almost black outside and the sky is cold. I am training alone again. I spend every spare minute out on the pitch. Not just because I enjoy it, but because I am so scared of losing the match. I have never been in a real school match before.

Suddenly I spot Malfoy watching me in the stands. I can't do this while I am being watched.

I glare at him, and then land, hoping he'll take the hint and leave.

He doesn't.

Instead, he comes down to where I am standing and says, 'can we talk?'

I watch him for a moment and then nod once.

'Will you explain?'

I sigh, but I know what he means. 'Sure.'

We sit down on the wet grass and I think for a while about how to start.

What would Rose do?

I can only tell him what I think Rose would.

'I – Malfoy, I don't know why I'm telling you this, but I have never been very happy with my life. I don't have to explain that to you, but basically you helped me feel a bit better about it. I mean, you're a damn good kisser.' I give him a small smile.

'Over Christmas I decided to change and just appreciate what I've got. I went to you again in a moment of weakness, but I don't want to be that person any more. This is all so confusing, but I just want to sort this all out and eventually find someone who actually likes me.

'I'm sorry I've been so unclear and difficult about it all, but that's it. I'm sorry. I just want a guy who can make me fall in love with him. Not someone who is just around for a quick snog.' I smile so he doesn't take it as too much of an insult.

'I could do that, you know.' He says, taking me by surprise.

I raise my eyebrows.

'I like this new you, Weasley. You're so much freer and happier. Like you don't even care what people think of you anymore.'

The corners of my mouth twitch. He is still the only person who has noticed.

'You're becoming more like Lily.' He says. 'But don't become too much like her. I don't really get on with her as you may have noticed.'

I smile properly then.

'Merlin, you're an idiot, Malfoy.'

'Don't deny that you're just a little intrigued as to what it would be like to have me being nice to you.' He says.

'I'm not going to.' I smile. 'But, Malfoy, you may like the _new me, _but you're still the old you. And I never liked the old you.'

'I know,' he sighs, 'but you inspire me. I don't like the old me either, so I'm going to try this not-caring-what-people-think thing too. Think you can wait around for me?'

'Why?' I ask.

'Who knows?' He shrugs. 'Maybe one day a Weasley and a Malfoy will be together without it having to be a big deal.'

'Get lost, Malfoy.' I say, but I am still smiling. I decide I like the idea of a new Malfoy. When he's not being so self-centred and obnoxious, he's actually alright.

Maybe that's why Al likes him.

Al is never quick to judge anyone. Being in Slytherin I suppose that's a good idea.

I'm not so good. I hated Malfoy on first sight because he was a Slytherin. And a Malfoy. And a pure-blood. And related to a death eater. And because I always felt he had turned Al into a traitor by befriending him.

'I know I'm a git,' he says with a smile. 'But you're a bitch. We'd be a great match.'

I punch him on the arm

'It's not happening, Malfoy. Let's just make a truce okay? You're a pure-blood-Malfoy-Slytherin and I'm a half-blood-Weasley-Gryffindor. Let's just ignore our differences and accept each other.'

I hold out my hand.

He laughs. 'We couldn't be more different.' And then he shakes my hand.

* * *

ϟ O-O¬

* * *

The Quidditch match comes around far sooner than I would have liked, and I do not feel at all prepared.

I think about faking an illness; it's easy when armed with Uncle George's skiving snack boxes.

But Rose has begged me not to bail on her match because she never would.

It's hard to say no to those big brown eyes. I mean, I know she has a persuasive nature, but before now I never noticed how persuasive my eyes were … it's very strange.

James keeps telling me to stop being silly, that I am a brilliant player and I usually look forward to matches. He doesn't know it's me of course.

Al has been a great comfort. I have spent a lot of time with him recently and I realise what a great person he is. We still have our sibling fights, but we are getting on far better than usual.

He is the only person other than Rose who knows who I am, and it's nice to be able to talk to him as Lily, and not as Rose.

He says I will be fine in the match. He has seen me play before, and he says if I don't win, it won't matter.

Everyone else thinks differently. Particularly in Rose and James' minds, if I don't win, it will be the end of the world.

To my surprise, Malfoy has been supportive of me too. We still fight, sure, but it's more in a sarcastic way now. We are beginning to get used to each other.

The day of the match is probably the first dry day of the year. The sky is still grey though, so it is bound to rain later.

I haven't worn Rose's Quidditch robes before, and wearing them suddenly give me a little more confidence that I can do well.

I have trained my eyes to notice the snitch now, and when we take off, I narrow them and scan the pitch. There is a movement over by the Hufflepuff goal posts. I zoom over there and circle the hoops.

I can hear the crowd cheering but I don't know who they are cheering for.

'And Rose Weasley seems to have overcome her last minute nerves long enough to notice the snitch …' I hear a familiar voice echoing across the stadium. No way.

Scorpius Malfoy is commentating.

'I wonder if Hufflepuff will still be able to knock her off her broom … yes, sorry, Professor.' He says. I just laugh. I don't feel so personally attacked by his insults anymore.

I think Rose and I are both learning things from this really.

I've finally managed to control my blasted temper.

Malfoy was right anyhow, I have spotted the snitch and I am tailing it like there is no tomorrow but I know I have no chance of catching it for a while. It is still a way ahead of me.

Suddenly the Hufflepuff seeker – Lukas Smith – is beside me. I shove myself into him and use the brilliant acceleration on Rose's broom to push in front of him, but I can't see the snitch anymore.

While I look out for it I listen to Malfoy's commentating.

'And there's another goal for Gryffindor leaving them leading Hufflepuff 30 to 10.'

We're already 20 up? I've obviously been chasing the snitch longer than I thought I had been.

Suddenly a bludger comes flying in my direction and I have to stop myself from screaming hysterically as I dive out of the way.

'Shame …' I hear Malfoy's voice echoing across the pitch as it misses me.

I laugh. That is so unlike me. Normally I would go mental and beat the bludger straight at him.

Then I spot the snitch and decide I am going to finish the game because I am still terrified that everyone is watching me.

I block out the rest of the players and the crowd and zoom in on the snitch just as I have been training myself to do. I manage to grab it just before I see the Slytherin stand in front of me, then I crash into it and black out.

* * *

ϟ O-O¬

* * *

It must be a few days later when I wake up the hospital wing.

Everything comes flooding back to me and I feel like a complete and utter idiot. The whole bloody school must've seen that.

I look up and see Al and Hugo are sitting beside my bed. I make a mental note to remind me that Al is my cousin and Hugo my brother, not the other way round.

'Hey,' Al says with a smile.

Hugo grins when he sees I am awake. 'Rose, that was one of the most amazing wins Gryffindor has ever had.'

I raise my eyebrows at him. 'I don't really remember it …' I admit.

'Well you were so bloody scared before the match – which is so unlike you – and then, well, you were so desperate for it to be over that you smashed yourself into the Slytherin stand in the process of catching the snitch. But you still caught it and we won and everyone thinks you're a right hero because if you hadn't caught it at that second, Smith would've.'

'Way to sacrifice yourself for the team, Rose.' Al smiles. 'James is over the moon. He says he doesn't think anyone else on the team would've done that just to win. He's so proud…' He rolls his eyes, but they still have that cheerful twinkle in them which lets me know he is joking.

'I didn't see Smith anywhere.' I say. 'In fact, I didn't even see the stand until it was too late.'

I try to sit up and then wince in pain. Ow. I think I must've hit the stand pretty hard.

I go back to lying still.

'Don't tell James that,' Al grins, but before he can continue, James and the rest of the Gryffindor team march in. He cheers when he sees I am awake.

'My hero!' he cries, 'have some sweets.' He throws a collection of Every Flavour Beans and Chocolate Frogs and the likes on to my bed.

'Rose, I really owe you one.' He smiles. Al is right, he is obviously very proud.

He probably doesn't think anyone would be stupid enough to nearly kill themselves just to win a Quidditch match.

Nope, that's just me.

He leans in and says, 'you missed Granddad's birthday but the clan sent him some muggle shit from all of us and we signed your name.'

I grin at him gratefully.

Then I notice Rose … well, myself … standing in the doorway observing the scene and looking very guilty.

Hugo gets up and says he'll come back later, but that he's got detention now.

Al notices Rose too, and realises she probably wants to talk to me so he steers the team out of the room with the excuse that I need sleep and there aren't supposed to be more than 6 visitors anyway.

Rose comes in and sits beside me.

'Sorry.' She says. 'This is my fault; I shouldn't' have made you play.'

'Oh it's fine.' I smile. 'Everyone thinks I'm a hero now.'

'Do you want me to switch us back now, so you don't have to, you know, be in pain.'

I think about this, but I decide I want a few days warning before we're switched so I can sort everything out. And anyway, being in here means I get to skip lessons.

'When I get out of here.' I say. 'Let me have a couple of days off, lying in bed, then when they let me go, we'll switch back.'

'Deal.' She says sadly. 'But I'm going to miss being you, Lily. It's been fun.'

'What have you done … you know, whilst being me.'

'Well, I've got you some pretty high grades to start with,' she smiles, 'but not much. Just relaxed and not bothered about making myself all popular anymore. It's been easier. I think I'm gonna go for a fresh start once I'm me again.'

'Me too.' I say. 'I've had a much nicer time _not _yelling at everyone all the time. It's far more fun. Looks like this had _some _positives anyway.'

'Sometimes,' Rose says dreamily, 'I wish I was a muggle.'

'Why?' I ask in surprise. Who on earth would want to be a muggle?

Well, Rose, obviously.

'Muggles have it so much easier. There's less complications in being a muggle.'

I just laugh. I can't imagine myself as a muggle at all. Magic is such a huge part of my life.

'Well, I guess I can do whatever I want when I'm back as me again.' She says, and then she leaves.

Sure, she can do whatever she wants … but I'm pretty sure it's not actually possible to _become _a muggle if you're not one already. She's a witch and she always will be.

I don't have long to dwell over this anyway, because as soon as I am alone, I begin to fall asleep.

* * *

ϟ O-O¬

* * *

The next time I wake up, I don't feel in as much pain. Whatever Madam Bryant has been giving me is obviously working.

It won't be long before I'm out of here and back in my own body. I can't wait.

To my surprise, as I open my eyes I see Malfoy sitting by the bed. I almost jump up. This is embarrassing; I must look such a mess.

Not that I care. It's only Malfoy.

'Hey, Weasley.' He says.

I look around to check he's not talking to anyone else. 'Hi.' I say.

There is a moments silence before I see he is about to say something else. I cut across him. 'Why are you here?'

He pauses. 'I felt _someone _ought to be, your cousins and friends have gone to Hogsmeade.'

Dammit! I missed the Hogsmeade weekend?

'And you stayed here … to sit by my bed …'

'I haven't got the form.' He says. 'I _can't _go.'

'Why haven't you got the form?' I ask, confused, 'Surely you've had it since like, 3rd year?'

'Yeah, well, my dad's a bastard and hasn't signed it yet.' He says.

I want to ask him more, but I can tell he doesn't want to talk about it.

'So why come here?' I ask.

'There's nowhere else to be.'

'Thanks.' I say, and smile so he knows I'm not being sarcastic.

'For what?' he raises his eyebrows.

'Keeping me company.'

There is another moment's silence.

'You're welcome.'

This is a scenario I never in all my dreams imagined happening. We're actually being nice to one another. I think I could get used to this nice version of Scorpius Malfoy.

Suddenly Al comes in.

'Hi …' I say slowly. 'Malfoy said you were in Hogsmeade.'

'I was.' he says. 'I got bored. And the map said that _you,_' he looks at Malfoy, 'were up here. So I thought I should come and check you weren't murdering her.'

'Nope.' Malfoy smiles. 'We're best friends now.'

Al laughs. 'Never thought I'd see the day.'

I roll my eyes. 'You still haven't.'

But it's strange; I suddenly feel like I _want_ Malfoy to be my friend. It's almost a shame that in a couple of day's time I will be Lily again, and it will be Rose he is friends with, not me.

I guess I'll just have to go back to hating him.

* * *

ϟ O-O¬

* * *

By the time Madam Bryant lets me out of the Hospital wing; I have probably been visited by every member of my family that attends Hogwarts.

It is annoying that I have started to get used to them calling me Rose, and treating me like her. It's going to be weird being me again.

I go first up to the Gryffindor common room and take out everything that is mine, before spending a last few minutes sitting by the fire. Obviously I won't be able to come back in here now.

After that, I go and find Rose. It feels like there are lots more things I should sort out before we are switched back, but for some reason I can't think of any.

Rose looks rather depressed when I find her, but she stays true to her word and we find an empty classroom to switch back in.

We stand there for a moment, trying to think of other things that need to be sorted out, but when neither of us can think of any reason to prolong our time as one another, Rose pulls out her wand – my wand – and starts muttering the incarnation.

That same sort of force field seems to appear around us again, and my eyes are forced shut.

This time, the ripping feeling in my heart hurts much more.

I think it is because as I am being pulled away from Rose's body, I feel I am leaving a lot of things behind.

I think a small part of me wanted to stay as her, even if most of me was desperate to be myself again.

When I open my eyes I see Rose in front of me, and she is Rose. My hair feels lighter and I feel smaller and I know that we are both ourselves again.

This is going to be even weirder than switching in the first place. But I am so glad to be Lily again. Somewhere inside, a little voice is telling me that lilies are much nicer than roses.

* * *

**A/N: AND SHE'S BACK AT LAST! Sorry it's been dragged out so long!**

**I just realised, my _real _first name and surname are only three letters different from one of the HP characters, but since I'm convinced you're all axe-wielding maniacs I'm not going to tell you which one;) Okay that was a rubbish joke, I honestly don't think that about you haha:)**

**_Anywaaayyyy, _ignore my pointless rambling and as always, please let me know what you think! I love you all very dearly!**

**Thank you!**

**~Mango :)**


	7. Picking up the Pieces

Chapter 7 – Picking up the Pieces

...

_**I'd like to make myself believe,**_

_**That planet earth turns slowly,**_

_**It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep,**_

'_**Cause everything is never as it seems, when I fall asleep.**_

_**Owl City – Fireflies**_

* * *

**I don't own Harry Potter no matter how much I like to pretend I do;)**

* * *

As soon as I am myself again I decide to do an Albus. It is pouring with rain today, and I love the idea of going outside and sitting in it.

I don't understand why people don't like winter. Just because the weather is miserable doesn't mean we have to be.

I go down to the lake again. I feel brilliant. Yes, I will miss the strange excitement of being Rose, being older, being the object of everyone's attention, but I am glad to be back.

Rose is too much of a bitch.

I am freezing cold but after running through the grounds to get here, I warm up just a bit. I know this isn't exactly a good idea, and that I'll probably get pneumonia or something, but right now, I really don't care.

One thing I enjoy about being myself is that I don't have to freak out over my appearance so much. Rose is so stunning that people expect her to _always _be beautiful.

That's why I freaked out when Malfoy saw me lying in a hospital bed looking ill with my hair all over the place.

But being me, I just don't care.

Rose's plan worked. I have definitely learned to appreciate what I've got.

I lie by the river for ages, vaguely hoping Al will come down and keep me company, but he doesn't.

As the rain gets less and less, I grow more and more tired, and soon enough, I have fallen asleep outside, probably for the first time ever.

* * *

ϟ O-O¬

* * *

I dream that I am in a war of some sort. I have been put in some strange, futuristic electric chair which is shaking me violently up and down.

Suddenly a male auror with Rose's hair comes and pulls me out of the chair and tries to push me in the lake, which has suddenly appeared beside us.

I protest and struggle and fight but the auror has a calming voice and he says 'it's okay, Lily, it's okay.' So eventually I give up and I let myself fall in.

I expect it to be cold and harsh but it is warm and comforting and I suddenly feel much better.

I panic for a moment that I can't breathe, but apparently I can, so I settle down in the warm water and go to sleep.

From this, I wake up and find myself wrapped in a thick blanket, still lying beside the lake, though further away from it than I was before.

'Hey, sleepy head.' Al's voice registers in my mind.

I turn and see him sitting behind me.

'You nearly fell in, Lil'. Try not to fall asleep so close to the water again.'

Oops.

I thank him for bringing the blanket and then go over and sit beside him, still with it wrapped around my shoulders.

'So you're you again now.' He says.

It is a statement not a question, but I nod.

'Back to crazy old me who falls asleep in the rain.' I smile.

He smiles back, but before he can say anything, Malfoy is there again. Why is he always everywhere I am?

'Hey, Al.' he says as he sits down on Al's other side.

He gives me an acknowledging nod and says, 'Potter.'

I want to laugh and cry at the same time. It is weird being called Potter rather than Weasley now … and it is weird that he's being so unfriendly, when he's been perfectly nice to me recently … if only he knew.

Him and Al begin talking about Slytherin things I don't really care about, and I am about to leave when Rose is suddenly there too.

I decide to ask James not to let the whole world know where I am next time.

Rose looks immediately pissed off when she sees Malfoy, but he smiles and says, 'Hey, Weasley,' in a jokey voice. He then pats the grass beside him, gesturing that she should sit down.

She raises her eyebrows.

'Er, Lily, could I talk to you for a second?' she says, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at Malfoy, who looks ridiculously confused again.

Poor guy.

I get up and we walk out of hearing distance from the boys and then she says, 'did you make _friends _with Malfoy?'

She looks like she can't decide whether to be surprised or angry or both.

I shrug. 'Not deliberately, but yes, I think so …'

'Why? I thought you hated him!'

'I know … but it was all so confusing… and then I had to explain myself and he said he liked the _new me _so we became sort of friends. A bit. Not really. I don't even know.'

'And you didn't start a fight with him?' she looks momentarily impressed.

I smile proudly. 'I think I've learned to control my temper, Rose, I guess I shouldn't have judged him by his house and his surname …'

She raises her eyebrows again. 'I don't want him as my friend.'

'Well he still hates _me_ just as much as he used to, so I can't really take him off your hands.'

'Be nice to him, you're the one he likes.'

'He doesn't _like _me, he just got used to me _as you. _But I'm not you anymore.'

'Well I'm not going to pretend to like _him._ He's a git.'

I smile in agreement. 'A nice one, though.' I grin, and then I head back over to them before she can say anything else.

What's happened to me lately?

Whatever it is, I think I like it.

* * *

ϟ O-O¬

* * *

Back in lessons it's strange to be back with my old classmates, especially as they all think I've finally revealed my true Ravenclaw and become a genius.

It seems a shame that I have to let them down.

On Saturday a week or so later, Rose comes and finds me again. It's strange, I mean, we used to get on fine, and see each other when we did, but _now _I have seen more of her than of any of my friends and we are still not particularly close.

Today though, Rose has a proper reason for coming to find me.

She looks worried.

'What is it?' I ask.

'I think Malfoy bloody _fancies _me, Lily.'

'What?' I ask, trying not to laugh.

'He says he likes the new me, how I'm more fiery and free and that ...'

I can't stop myself laughing then. 'What did you say?' I ask.

'I had a right go at him,' she says miserably.

'What?' I ask again, pulling a sad face. 'Rose, he _can _be a nice guy! Let him down gently.'

'It's you he likes, Lily, not me.'

'Don't be an idiot. Everyone fancies you, Rose.'

'That's not true. He said he like my personality. That's you, not me. Can you please just tell him it was you? I hate him … liking me … it's just weird.'

'You want me to tell Malfoy that you switched us?'

'Yes! It will stop him being so annoyingly confused all the time.'

'You tell him.'

'Lily, he _likes _you. I'm not talking to him or he'll like _me_.'

'And you think I want him to _like _me do you?' I laugh.

'Well you obviously like him.'

'Don't be stupid. I've just decided I'm going to be more like Al and not judge him for his name. He's not so bad.'

'So you're honestly telling me you wouldn't say yes if he asked you out.'

'Yes! Why would I?'

'I thought you liked him. I mean, he's good looking, isn't he? And if he's as _nice _as you say he is then what's not to like?'

'If you think he's so great go out with him yourself.'

'Alright, alright. Just please can you explain to him what happened. He keeps treating me like a friend and I hate it. I want him to piss off.'

I roll my eyes. 'Sure I'll tell him. He's not going to like it though.'

'He doesn't have to.'

'And in exchange,' I continue, 'you be nice to him, okay?'

She looks irritated.

There is a pause before she says, 'fine.'

And then she walks away.

Great.

Now I have to go and tell a guy who hates me that actually he quite likes me and the girl he thought he liked is actually the one he was calling a snotty princess not too long ago.

This is going to really piss him off.

I really don't blame him for being _"annoyingly confused all the time"._

* * *

ϟ O-O¬

* * *

I borrow the marauder's map off James again, and see Malfoy in the Slytherin common room.

I think I'll have to get Al to get him out, but then he goes out of his own accord and starts walking.

I take the map with me and try and head towards where it looks like he is going.

Soon enough, I walk straight into him because I am too busy looking at the map.

He gives me a scathing look and then sees what I am holding.

'Oh, I was going to ask James if I could borrow that.' He says, 'er, can I?'

'Can I talk to you first?' I ask.

He looks a little bewildered.

It's probably the first time I've done that as me.

He still thinks I hate him.

He shrugs and nods, and I lead him into the transfiguration classroom. Because it is the weekend there are no lessons going on.

'What?' he asks me impatiently when we are in there.

'It's quite a long story.' I say coldly.

'Well, I was going to try and find – '

'Rose, yes.' I interrupt him irritably. I try to ignore the jealousy I am feeling.

He looks puzzled. I decide to just start talking.

'The day we came back after Christmas, Rose and I had a little fight, which you probably know.'

He nods.

'The next day, she was still pretty mad. Apparently, she was jealous of me, she wasn't happy with the way she was, and she didn't think I appreciated what I had.'

He nods again.

'So, she did some very complicated magic that only she would know how to do, and she switched us.'

He stares at me. He has no idea what I mean.

'She put me in her body and herself in mine,' I explain, 'she was me, I was her.'

He is still silent, but a slight realisation has crept into his eyes.

'It was only a couple of weeks ago that she switched us back.' I say.

I'm pretty sure he gets it, he just doesn't want to.

'… so all that time … Rose was being … different … it was because she was you.'

It's my turn to nod.

'So that's why she kept asking me questions … because it was you and you truly didn't know the answers.'

I nod again.

'And that's why she's being a bitch again now. Because she's her.'

I decide it would be a bit mean to agree to that one. Even if inwardly I do.

'So the girl I found I actually liked, the girl I sat with in the rain in the middle of the Quidditch pitch … that was you?'

I bite my lip, waiting for the explosion. 'Yes.' I say.

We sit and look at each other for a moment.

'But you don't like me.'

'_Didn't.' _I correct him. 'That's why I kept yelling at you. But you're alright really.'

I give him a small smile.

He doesn't return it.

'And Rose still hates me.' It's a statement, but I nod anyway.

I can't help feeling a little annoyed that he looks hurt. It was me, not Rose, who he ever liked.

'So when I thought I … er … _liked _Rose … it was you?'

I shrug. 'Depends whether you liked her looks or her personality.'

Merlin, this is so awkward.

He takes me by surprise by suddenly reaching over, putting his hands on my face and kissing me softly.

I am so shocked that I just stand there unmoving as he kisses me.

He pulls away and his expression is one of realisation, and slightly of annoyance.

'It was definitely you.' He says, and then he walks out leaving me feeling like a complete idiot.

Why did I have to let him kiss me?

I mean, _how many times has that happened now?_

I stand alone in the classroom for a while, just thinking.

I want to talk to him again. Explain. Work out what's going on in his head.

This is so fucked up.

* * *

ϟ O-O¬

* * *

Gradually over the next few weeks, I begin to settle back into my old routine, and I get used to being me again.

It's Roxy's birthday mid-February and I am incredibly pleased when I manage to get hold of a badger necklace which she loves because of the whole Hufflepuff thing.

A lot of people take the mick out of Hufflepuff, but she's well into house pride.

She even has a big party in their common room only inviting Hufflepuffs.

But she's recently started seeing Ryan Macmillan who's in Gryffindor, so since she's an obsessive party girl anyway, she throws another one that all the family can come to too.

I end up leaving early anyway though, because I'm not so into partying as she is.

Now I'm me again, I hardly see Malfoy at all, and when I do, he ignores me.

He's still seriously perplexed by the whole thing.

It's helping me settle back into my old routine, though.

Rose has settled back into herself too. She's not the same over-popular, over-confident twat she used to be, but she is still not happy, and she is still a bitch.

I have begun spending a lot more time with my brother, and I realise, although he is more strange and mysterious than me, we are more alike than I would ever have thought.

We are both posting letters to our parents one morning when he says, 'Scorpius told me everything, you know.'

My heart clenches. Is there anything I didn't want Al to know?

'Are you going to kill us?' I ask, only half joking.

'Rose, maybe.' He laughs. 'But no, seriously, I think you should talk to him.'

'I've done _way _too much of that.' I say.

No matter how much I want to sort everything out, I really don't want to have to go and talk to him again.

'He said you were almost friends before you switched back.'

'Well, we were.' I say shortly.

'Why won't you make an effort then? Why don't you just be friends?'

'He hates me, and it's not much of a loss to either of us. Like you said, we were only _almost _friends.'

'He doesn't hate you, Lil'. At one point he thought he fancied you. You guys are so frustrating.' He looks really annoyed.

'Well what am I supposed to do about it?'

Al rolls his eyes. 'Come with me.' He says and grabs hold of my wrist.

He leads me up to the 7th floor corridor and I nearly hit him when I see Malfoy is up here too.

How awkward is this going to be?

Malfoy rolls his eyes when he sees me.

'What are you gonna do, Al?' he says, '_Make _us talk?'

Al grins mischievously. 'Maybe.'

Just as he says it, an old, obviously burnt door materialises in the wall in front of us. Me and Malfoy both gape.

Al opens the door and drags us into a huge dark room. The floor is carpeted with ashes and the walls are scorched and blackened. There are a few crumbling pillars standing in places, but everything else is destroyed.

We look around in awe. 'Where are we?' I ask, and then I realise Al's grip on my wrist has gone.

I turn to see that me and Malfoy are alone in here, and the old door has disappeared.

Well, that was clever of him.

Malfoy looks pissed off. 'Well,' he says, 'we may as well talk.'

'Sure.' I nod. 'What about?'

He laughs. 'So are we friends or not?'

I pause for a moment.

'I don't mind.'

He laughs again. 'Really? That's your answer?'

'Well, what's yours?' I ask indignantly.

'I don't mind either.' He smirks. '_Although, _we did shake on it.'

I narrow my eyes at him questioningly.

'On the Quidditch pitch. We shook hands to ignoring our differences.'

I remember then. 'But I'm not Rose anymore.' I say.

'No,' he agrees, 'but you're nicer than Rose. So let's be friends.'

He holds out his hand again, and I take it.

I never thought I'd actually end up getting on with Scorpius Malfoy.

How Rose has changed me … I wonder what she would do in this situation.

Probably punch him in the face.

I don't.

I've decided I don't want to be like Rose Weasley. I like being me, and Malfoy obviously likes me being me too.

Not that I need to impress him.

We spend a while in there before Al finally comes back and lets us out.

There isn't much to talk about, yet we find things, and we get to know one another.

He even manages to get me calling him Scorpius. And he calls me Lily. It feels weird, but I don't mind. He's an alright guy really, much nicer than I thought he was.

I don't hate him any more.

When we are finally released Al smiles, seeing that we have pretty much sorted out the confusion.

'Now,' he says to Scorpius. 'It's Rose's turn.'

* * *

**A/N: Thank you so much for all your wonderful reviews! They make me update faster as you can tell;)  
**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Lily's beginning to like him now methinks;)  
Anyway let me know if you think I'm doing this all too fast/too slow or if there's anything I haven't explained properly:)  
**

**Oh and by the way if that last bit doesn't make sense Al just means it's Rose's turn to _talk _and explain and that and make up with Scorp which obviously he doesn't want to do because he doesn't like her:)**

**Please review! I love you all! :)  
**

**~Mango :)**

**[Review reply to my lovely anonymous reviewer:)**

**Well, Rose _wants _to be like Lily, but she's basically fed up and depressed so I doubt it's going to work;) But you're on to something there ... ;)  
And it's fine to not like Rose, I hate her too, that's just my excuse as to _why _she's such a bitch, but yeah, she's got some shit to go through for a bit and well, if I'm in a good mood once this is finished I might write a squeal from her point of view giving her a happily ever after ... but for now, well, what goes around comes around;)  
****Thank you so much for reviewing and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :D  
~Mango :) X ]**


	8. Toxic

Chapter 8 – Toxic

...

_**Hold up, hold on, don't be scared,**_

_**You'll never change what's been and gone.**_

_**May your smile shine on, don't be scared,**_

_**Your destiny may keep you on.**_

_**Oasis – Stop Crying Your Heart Out**_

* * *

**I don't own Harry Potter:( Sorry it's been so long! Well...sort of:) I promise I'll try and update at _least _every other day from now on!**

* * *

'Rose's turn what?' Scorpius asks blankly.

'To make up with you.' Al explains.

'No way.' Scorpius says. 'No way.'

'You made up with Lily.'

'Me and Lily never fell out, we were just confused. I'm not talking to that bitch.'

'_That bitch" _happens to be our cousin.' Al says coolly. 'She's pretty confused too.'

Scorpius glares at Al.

'And anyway,' Al continues, 'you used to hate Lily.'

'I got to know her.' he says.

I feel like I should leave, they don't seem to realise I am there.

'She was nice as Rose, it's just weird knowing it was her … not …Rose …'

He looks over his shoulder at me and gives me a strange smile. His brow is furrowed, but he is smiling. I smile back.

'Just go back in there with Rose for _half an hour.' _Al says. He's trying to make it sound optional, but we both know it isn't.

It's strange. Al is such a nice guy, such a brilliant brother, and he always seems to get everything right. He has a good judgement of people … and yet, he seems to really get on with Rose.

I don't know what it is. I can't understand how anyone as laid-back and carefree as Al, can put up with someone like Rose.

He must really get her.

Scorpius looks back at the space where the big burned door stood a minute ago. 'What _is _that place, Al?'

'Oh, er … my … _our _dad told me about it. It is – or _was _– the room of requirement. Now it's more of an old room filled with ashes …'

'What's a room of requirement?' Scorpius voices my thoughts.

'_The _room of requirement is a room that appears when you need it and provides whatever you need it for … now it just appears and disappears when you want it to, it can't provide you with things anymore because it's been totally destroyed.

'Anyway, stop changing the subject. Rose is on her way here.'

'I don't want to talk to her. What is there for us to sort out?'

'You can try and make friends. For _my _sake, I'm fed up with all this confusion and nobody knowing what the fuck is going on. Anyway, I know you're _all too _familiar with one another already.' He stares frostily at Scorpius.

Scorpius' pale cheeks turn slightly pink. I don't think he wants to be reminded that he used to let Rose kiss him.

'Doesn't mean we like each other.' he mumbles.

Al just gives him a cold look. He obviously wasn't as forgiving about the whole situation as I first thought he was.

I think he's really beginning to show his Slytherin side … I like it.

Rose appears then. She doesn't look happy to see us all standing there.

'Are you kidding me, Al?' she asks looking at Scorpius.

Al just raises his eyebrows and then pushes the two of them through the door which has now re-materialised in the wall.

Just before the door closes I see them both turn to glare at Al.

Al smirks. 'I think I just gave them a great topic of conversation,' he grins, 'how much they hate me.'

'You're evil.' I say.

There obviously _is_ a bit of the rebellious Weasley-Potter in him. This is the first time he's ever reminded me of James.

He grins. 'Well, I do try.'

* * *

ϟ O-O¬

* * *

Me and Al wait on the 7th floor corridor for nearly 45 minutes before Al finally gets up and announces that he's going to let them out.

The burned wooden door appears again, and he opens it.

We look in to see Scorpius and Rose sitting against one of the walls talking to one another. They don't exactly look like they hate each other … but they both look exceptionally miserable.

Scorpius' usually pale, sculpted face looks strangely grey in the shadow cast over them by a huge pillar, and his eyes look dark and sad.

Rose sits a couple of metres away from him, with a sad look on her face I've started to become accustomed to. It's the face she makes when she talks about hating her life, being jealous of me, wanting to be wanted.

They turn to face us and get up slowly. Al raises his eyebrows. 'Who died?' he asks.

Scorpius' lips twitch into a small smile and he shakes his head. 'Noah'll be waiting for me,' he says. 'I'll leave you Weasley-Potters together.'

And then he shoves his hands into his pockets and strolls off.

Rose watches him go, her eyes filled with something that looks like regret.

'What happened?' Al asks and I turn to face them.

The atmosphere has suddenly changed. Everything feels very miserable.

'Nothing,' she sighs, 'I just feel bad. We have nothing to _bond over _except shit things that have happened to us, so that's what we talked about. Now I just feel bad that I was such a bitch to him. Merlin, my life fucking sucks.' She says and then leaves the scene looking close to angry and frustrated tears.

There is a moment of silence as me and Al try to work out what just happened.

After a while, he breaks it by saying, 'oops …'

I look at him and can't help but give a little laugh.

'What did I do?' he asks.

'Oh, Al,' I say, 'I thought you knew everything.'

He smiles, 'obviously not. I probably shouldn't have locked those two in a room together … I was just a little … um … annoyed.'

I shrug. 'At least they seem to have sorted things out.'

He nods. 'I'm not sure how long it'll last though.'

* * *

ϟ O-O¬

* * *

After that, me, Al, Scorpius and Rose become our own little friendship group a lot of the time.

Hugo too, because he's my best friend.

It's strange in many ways, one being that Hugo and I are a year younger than the others – and a brother and sister to two of them – and another being how different we all are.

Al is sensible and mysterious and much, much smarter than anyone thinks he is.

Scorpius is sarcastic and funny and arrogant, and recently, rather affectionate. We agree to forget about everything we've said to one another in the past.

Rose is … well, I don't know what Rose is. She has changed a lot from the beautiful, over-confident girl she used to be.

I don't know whether it's from spending time as me, or just growing more and more upset with her own life, but she has become quiet and moody and miserable.

Nobody quite knows what to do about it.

She hangs around with us, because she's fed up with keeping up the pretence around her old friends, and she can sit in silence when she's with us and no one will bother her.

We usually sit in the library because Hugo and I have our O.W.L.s coming up at the end of the year so we can work, and because it's somewhere all of us from our different houses can go.

Rose curls up on a big arm chair and says nothing. I never know what she is thinking, but she's obviously so sad.

She has stopped being a bitch to Scorpius though. I have no idea whether to see that as a good thing or a bad thing.

There's a little voice in the back of my head which says it is a bad thing because I don't want Scorpius to like Rose.

But I ignore it because it's being bitchy.

She talks to Scorpius more than any of us now. Not that that's saying much.

She _never _talks to me, and only rarely talks to Al. She'll talk to Scorpius for a little while every now and then, and every time they do he suddenly seems really upset again.

Yet somehow, he seems to know how to make _her_ feel better. They don't fight any more. I don't know what went on in the room of requirement, but they won't pick on each other anymore.

I don't think Rose can be bothered; she always looks tired and upset.

I think Scorpius feels sorry for her. As we all do.

I've had my fair share of fights with Rose, but she is my cousin and I love her and I hate seeing her slowly deteriorating like this.

The only times she seems to look remotely happy are when Scorpius is with her. This is ridiculous considering she's meant to hate him, but it's true.

Whatever happened in the room of requirement changed them both, but it hasn't healed Rose.

I try talking to Rose, but she's having none of it.

Whenever I go to speak to her – whenever _anyone _goes to speak to her – she sits in silence and stares into the distance.

I would be lying if I said she hadn't been like this _before _the room of requirement thing, but it seems to have got much worse now.

I begin to wonder whether maybe she was serious about wanting to be a muggle.

I talk to Scorpius instead.

He won't talk much about her either.

We are all in the library together; he takes me aside and talks quietly so the others won't hear.

He just says, 'Rose is sad, Lily, she likes my company because it's different, it's _so _not allowed and it focuses people's attention back on her without her having to do anything.'

I say, 'you comfort her though, don't you?'

He nods. 'I guess I know what to say. I know her better than most of you think I do. But let's not dwell on it. If she wants me to look after her, I will.'

'But you hated her. You hated both of us. And you get so _sad _when you "look after her".'

'That's only because me talking about my troubles makes her feel a little better. Anyway, I was wrong to hate you. I judged you just as you judged me. But I've got used to it now, Al is _always _right.' He grins.

'Of course he is,' I agree, 'but I'm his sister and therefore am also _always _right.'

He ruffles my hair affectionately and laughs.

For some reason this pisses me off. I'm only a year younger than him after all and I feel a little patronised.

I straighten my hair out and glare at him.

He raises his eyebrows for a fraction of a second and says, 'I didn't think you were on for bothering too much about your appearance, Lily,' he lowers his voice so the others won't hear him, 'I usually leave that to Rose.'

I grin, and then pretend to look offended. 'Are you saying I don't look like I bother with my appearance?'

'No,' he smiles, 'I'm saying you don't need to.'

I suddenly have a strange desire to kiss him.

I look up into his eyes and am suddenly startled by how beautiful they are.

_Damn my tormented heart._

There is a loud bang from where the others are sitting as Al and Hugo start yet another game of exploding snap.

Me and Scorpius are pulled away from staring into one another's eyes and we both turn to face them as they start laughing.

Rose is sitting alone on one of the sofas. She is watching me and Scorpius. Even after she sees that we have seen her, she doesn't look away.

I'm not sure if she even knows she's doing it.

Scorpius leans closer to me and whispers, 'give her a go, Lil', she might come round.'

I ignore that he just called me Lil'.

I also ignore that he's the first person other than my brothers that has called me that without it bothering me.

I nod, and head over to the sofa and sit beside Rose. She still stares unblinkingly at the space I was just standing in.

'Hey, Rose,' I say, 'won't you tell me what's up? We miss you, you know.'

I try to sound light hearted, but inside I am truly worried. I think Rose is seriously depressed.

She says nothing. She just stares.

* * *

ϟ O-O¬

* * *

I begin to avoid Rose a bit. I feel sorry for her, and I'm worried about her, but she's dragging me down. Whenever I'm with her I feel as depressed as she looks and I hate it.

I don't deserve it. It's her own fault she's got like this.

I do understand how Scorpius comforts her though. I don't like it, I don't like it at all, but I understand it because he comforts me too.

When we fight, or when I get upset because she's being silent or whatever, he comes and finds me and he puts his arm around me and he tucks my hair behind my ears and makes me laugh.

The difference is; to comfort me all he has to do is be there. To comfort Rose he has to make her see that there are people worse off than her and it upsets him talking about his family and everything.

I try to talk to Rose again because she's really upset Hugo and Al is worrying about her again.

'Rosie,' I say, using a name I haven't called her since we were toddlers.

She looks away and curls her hands around her knees and holds them close to herself.

'Rosie, please tell us what's wrong. You've been so sad, we care about you, you know?'

She looks up and glares at me.

'Sure.' She says sarcastically. 'Because you have to.'

'What do you mean?' I ask.

'You don't _care _about me, you fucking hate me. You're only worried because you're related to me so somewhere in there is some stupid feeling that you _have _to give a damn about me.'

'Rose, you're not making any sense. I don't "_fucking hate you", _and I don't care about you because I have to. I really think –'

She interrupts me, '_why _do you think I've started being nice to Scorpius Malfoy? Because I like him? Hell no. Because he doesn't _have _to care about me like you do, and yet he still tries to comfort me.'

This pisses me off. I glare at her and I feel my temper rising like it used to. 'Fuck it, Rose, he's a _nice _guy and you're making him feel like shit. Leave him alone, he doesn't deserve this.'

'You fucking hypocrite! You hated him only a couple of weeks ago!'

'I don't care. I judged him before I knew him but he's not that bastard anymore. He's nice enough to try and cheer you up even after everything you've done to him and you just make him depressed!'

'I told you you didn't give a damn about me.' She says sulkily.

'Fuck you.' I snap and then march out feeling absolutely crap.

Why do I let her make me feel like this? Why do I even bother trying to be nice to her when it _always _ends like this?

I feel the angry, aggravated tears rising in me before I have time to stop them. This is the second time this year Rose has made me cry and I fucking hate crying.

I brush them away furiously and try to calm myself down. I need air.

I go out to the Quidditch pitch and let the cold night breeze cool my mind down. It's been a while since I've got like this.

Suddenly I hear a voice behind me, 'hey, Lil', what's wrong?'

I turn around to see Scorpius standing there with James' map.

I throw myself into his arms and cling onto him for dear life. How could I ever have hated this perfect guy?

And why have I let Rose make me feel so crap?

'Hey,' he says soothingly and strokes my hair. 'It's okay.'

I think that maybe us being in this position makes us a little more than friends. I think that that is exactly what I want right now.

So I kiss him.

* * *

**A/N: YAY LilScorp! :) Hehe :) I enjoyed writing this chapter, I hope you enjoyed reading it!**

**Also, I hope no one hates me for the way I'm treating Rose ... I've got my excuses for it and I know what's going to happen in the end so please bear with me:)**

**Sorry I was slow at updating this, I've had a lot of exams and things but they ALL finish next week so I'll be quick now:) Especially if all you awesome legends keep sending me such beautiful reviews and making me want to cry;)**

**Love you all!**

**~Mango :)**

**[Anon: Yeah, I felt Scorp would _have _to find out anyway so them telling him made everything simpler and now they can all be friieennddsss ;)  
Thank you so much your review made me feel really happy 'cause I always feel like I'm boring people with insignificant details;) I hope you enjoyed this chapter!  
~Mango :) X]**

**[Leels: Thank you so much! I'm so glad you like the way I've characterised them:)  
Yeah, I only said she had to get used to it because I was imagining how weird it would be to be someone else then yourself again and it would just be strange but I get what you mean:)  
Ah I just feel like saying thank you over and over because you left such a lovely review! :)  
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)  
Thank youuu!  
~Mango :) X]**


	9. Necessities

Chapter 9 – Necessities

...

_**And I don't want the world to see me,**_

'_**Cause I don't think that they'd understand.**_

_**When everything's meant to be broken,**_

_**I just want you to know who I am.**_

_**Goo Goo Dolls – Iris**_

* * *

**I don't own Harry Potter :/ Thank you to 'Leels' for the little idea I stole and put in the middle there:D**

* * *

So_ I kiss him._

I'm shocked, even at myself. We're standing here in the darkness kissing as if our lives depend on it.

This is so new to me. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to think.

But it's perfect.

He's kissed me before. But this is different.

Perhaps because I was the one who initiated it.

He kisses me back, though. He drops the map onto the grass and wraps his arms around my waist and kisses me as if it's the last thing he'll ever do.

I don't feel like crying anymore. I feel like jumping for joy.

I don't even hate Rose right now; after all I wouldn't have ever made friends with him if she hadn't switched us.

I put my hands on the back of his neck to pull him closer to me.

It's cold out here but I can hardly tell anymore.

And then he pulls away, closes his eyes for a second and swallows.

I watch him worriedly.

Oops. What did I just do?

We look at each other for a moment and then he runs a hand through his messy blond hair. 'Shit, Lily,' he says. 'I wasn't expecting that.' And then he smiles. 'What the fuck happens now?'

I breathe a sigh of relief. He doesn't hate me. 'I don't mind,' I smile, and he laughs.

'Oh, Lily, what have we done? Just think about it! Our parents … Al … _Rose …_'

He stops at the look I am giving him.

'What are they going to say?'

'Does it matter?'

'What are you doing to me!' he laughs exasperatedly and then he places a hand on the back of my head, pulls me towards him and kisses me furiously.

I smile nervously at him and raise an eyebrow. 'Kissing you?' I suggest with the hint of a smirk.

He shakes his head and rolls his eyes. 'You're really something, Lily.' He says affectionately, and I grin at him.

I feel like I'll never be sad again. It's such a strange sensation.

'How did this happen?' Scorpius asks. 'We've both changed so much. I like you a lot more now you've stopped blowing up at every little thing.' He winks.

I grin embarrassedly. It wasn't all that long ago that we were threatening to kill one another after all.

'Would you ever have really done it?' I ask, forgetting that he can't read my mind and probably wasn't following my train of thought. 'Kill me, I mean.' I say in response to his confused look.

'What?' he asks looking utterly bewildered.

I start again. 'You know how we used to threaten one another's lives? Would you have ever been able to kill me?'

'Depends what you did.' He jokes. 'No, honestly? No. I would've gotten in to trouble.' He winks.

I roll my eyes. 'I would've fought you, or duelled you, but you would've won.' I say.

'I wouldn't be so sure.'

'Are you kidding? You know a year's worth more magic than me to start with, plus you're really, really good at it.'

He raises his eyebrows, smirking slightly. 'Wanna bet?'

'You want to duel me?' I raise my eyebrows.

'Why not?' he smirks.

'_Because, _Scorpius, I can't duel and Al will kill you if you hurt me.'

'I'm not going to hurt you. Duelling is fun. You win, you get a prize.'

'Uh-huh,' I say dryly, 'and that would be ...?'

'Wait and see.' He winks again.

'You're such a fucking flirt, Scorpius.' I say.

'You're not complaining.'

He's right. I'm not.

So we duel.

Needless to say, he knows far more spells than I do and so I have to attempt to beat him using _Expelliarmus_.

But then again, that's the spell my dad used against Voldemort and he won't let any of us forget it.

I can't _help_ noticing how hot Scorpius looks when he's all fired up and shooting spell across the room at me.

I smile stupidly at him while trying to block his countless jinxes. I don't recognise any of them. I should definitely listen more in defence against the dark arts.

My mum taught me the bat-bogey hex when I was in my third year and started wanting to attack everyone. She probably shouldn't have.

When Scorpius' next spell flies at me, I shoot it back and then cast the bat-bogey hex non-verbally.

He is distracted protecting himself against his own hex and doesn't notice I've just shot another at him and in a matter of seconds there are hundreds of bats flying out of his nose.

He looks so ridiculous and confused that I can't help bursting into hysterical giggles.

Still laughing, I point my wand at him and say, '_Expelliarmus,' _as best as I can through the giggles.

His wand flies over to my hand and I catch it while he stands there completely helpless with bats all over him.

'I think I won.' I say.

If he responds, I don't hear it. His mouth is blocked by bats. I mutter the counter-jinx and giggle at the half angry, half bemused expression on his face.

He raises his eyebrows as though unwilling to admit defeat. Then suddenly both the wands I am holding go flying back to him.

I stare at him in surprise and confusion. He grins wickedly. 'You see, Potter, when you hexed me, I knew you'd try and disarm me. So I put my own wand in my pocket and switched it for this fake one I got from your uncle's store.

'I carry it around with me during duels in case of scenarios like this. And I think it worked.'

I pause trying to figure out how that works.

'_And_ I think _I_ won.' He repeats my words and I hit him with my bag.

He hands me my wand back. 'Nice duelling you, Lil'.'

I glare at him. 'And I suppose I owe _you_ a prize now?'

He smirks again. 'Your expression is enough.' He bites his lip to try and stop himself from laughing.

I look away, because _his _expression is much sexier than should be legal.

'Well,' he says and I turn back to him, 'almost enough.' He grins and kisses me again.

* * *

ϟ O-O¬

* * *

And then we become a _thing._

When I was Rose, he told me he could be the person I wanted. He's proved that now.

Of course, _before, _I never thought about what would happen … but now we have to think everything through.

Al is surprisingly okay with it. In fact, when he finds out he says, 'well, I knew that. I thought everyone did. What I'm worried about is what Rose will say.'

And he's right. Because no matter how little I want to do with Rose, she is always there and we always have to be thinking about her now she seems incapable of doing that herself.

'What's Rose got to do with anything?' Scorpius asks, taking my hand.

'You know what she's like.' Al says, 'and you seem to be the only one who can make her feel better. She's not going to like you being with Lily.'

Scorpius gapes. He's a little slow on these things. 'You mean she _likes _me?'

'No, hell, no.' Al says. 'I _mean _she'll be jealous and upset and she could really do without feeling like that right now.'

I nod. 'He's right,' I say to Scorpius, and then I turn back to Al. 'She needs cheering up and to be honest I don't hate her so much now. If she was happier then all of us could be too. Maybe we should take her out someplace.'

Al nods. 'Get her some fresh air and a Butterbeer. She needs friends right now.'

There is a moment of silence before Scorpius voices the question we are all thinking. 'Why is she so sad?'

We are all silent again for a bit, and then Al says, 'I'm not sure anymore. She's just depressed because of everything building up against her. She thinks everyone hates her and well, because of the way she's treating everyone I wouldn't blame them if they did. She just needs to see that it's not true.'

So the next weekend we take Rose out to the Quidditch pitch and play a two-a-side match. Rose and Scorpius are both seekers for their house teams, and me and Al both just play for fun so we do Rose and Al v me and Scorpius.

It's a fair system, but our 'team' wins by miles because Al isn't brilliant and Rose is incredibly unenthusiastic about the whole thing and doesn't really try.

Then we go into the library to find Hugo and Scorpius' friend Noah because they're both hilarious and since Hugo is Rose's brother we think he might be able to cheer her up.

One of my and Hugo's best friends; Ellie Rivers, is also there, so we invite her along too and go up to the room of requirement where we can drink Scorpius' stolen Butterbeer without getting into trouble.

Rose seems to cheer up a little bit then. So Scorpius and I decide to disappear back to the Quidditch pitch.

'It's really nice of you to help us look after her, you know.' I say to him.

He shrugs. 'She prefers it when I'm nice to her because she doesn't think that I _have _to be.'

I nod. 'Merlin, she's taking over our lives.' I sigh.

Because it's true. She is always there in the back of our minds and there's not much we can do about it.

'Let's not think about her right now then.' Scorpius smiles, and he kisses me, and we go for a wander of the grounds in the rain.

* * *

ϟ O-O¬

* * *

A few days later, after lessons are over, Hugo, Ellie and I head to the library to get some revision done for our O.W.L.s and we meet Scorpius, Al, Noah and Rose there who are playing exploding snap.

I sit beside Scorpius and he puts his arm around me. 'What are you doing?' he asks, peering over at my text book.

'Potions,' I sigh and look at the book trying to understand the nonsense written there. 'It doesn't make any sense.'

'Get Rose to help you,' he says with a small smirk. Everyone knows Rose is amazing at Potions.

She glares at him.

'Why should I?' she snaps.

_Here we go again._

'You don't have to, Rose,' I say, 'I'm fine.'

She glowers at me. What have I done this time?

'Why don't _you _help _me_?' she says sulkily.

I don't really know what she means, but to be honest, I think I _have _been helping her recently.

'That's what I've been trying to do.' I mutter as I turn back to my work.

'For fucks sake, Lily, what's your problem?' she suddenly shouts and I look up in alarm. Everyone else is watching now.

'Rose, don't you get it?' I say, 'everyone is trying to help you and you're just pushing us away.'

'I don't _need _your help, Lily. I wish everyone would stop _pitying _me.'

I suddenly snap. I can't tolerate her anymore. 'You know what, Rose, fine. I won't help you. I can't fucking deal with your stupid mood swings and refusal to be happy anymore. I've tried to be nice, I've tried to help and you're so fucking ungrateful. I don't have to put up with you.'

'For fucks sake, _don't _then!' she yells, angry tears in her eyes.

'Rose, calm down.' Al says.

'And _you._' She says, whipping her head round to face him. 'This is _your _fault.'

'_What _exactly, is _my _fault?' he asks, a cold, angry look in his eyes I've hardly ever seen on him before.

She just glares at him. 'I suppose you all hate me, then? Because I'm going through a rough time and I'mstressed. Just leave me alone. _All _of you.' And then she storms off.

We all sit there in silence for a bit until Ellie says, 'well, this is awkward.' And we all laugh uncomfortably.

There is another moments silence before Scorpius says, 'I'll go find her.'

He gets up but I grab his hand and pull him back.

'Don't go.' I say quietly. 'She's brought this on herself.'

'I know she has, Lil', but we shouldn't just let her wallow in her own despair or she'll do something stupid.'

'Well let _Al _go or something then.' I say softly.

I don't want to admit it, but I don't want Scorpius to go and comfort Rose. I like Scorpius being mine and I hate how sympathetic he is towards Rose even if that is bitchy.

'Why?' he asks.

'Please.' I say. 'You don't have to always help everyone, you know.'

He looks a bit affronted. 'I know, Lily, but Rose _needs _help and I know how to make her feel better.'

'Why do you like looking after her so much? If it's her you like then you should never have kissed me.' The words are out before I can stop them and I regret it immediately.

'I don't like her like that, Lily. I don't want to end up a bastard like my father, and so if someone needs my help I'll give it to them.' He sounds angry.

The others have all turned back to what they were doing.

'Can we go somewhere private?' I ask irritably, looking at them all.

We go up to the room of requirement and Scorpius turns on me and says, 'What is it, Lily? Are you jealous or something?'

'No!' I stare up at the ceiling in frustration. 'No. I just don't think Rose deserves you being so nice to her. It's like you're just obsessed with making her happy when _maybe she doesn't deserve it. _And when you should really be taking my side.'

'Everyone deserves to be happy.' He snaps. 'Don't be so selfish. I'm not taking anyone's side. I _know _you're in the right, Lily, but I feel guilty and I just don't want to be seen as a bastard anymore. Even by her. For fucks sake.'

He stares at the ground looking pissed off.

'Do _I _not deserve to be happy, Scor? Because you _made _me happy, you made me feel wanted and important and brilliant, but you don't make me feel special anymore because you're so obsessed with looking after Rose when she doesn't even like you.'

He opens his mouth to say something but I cut across him, 'my mum, and my uncle and my aunt, they say my dad has a _"saving people thing", _and I think you've got it too. You really want to help her, which is so good of you, but argh. I know I'm being selfish and bitchy and that but I really like you. I never wanted to, I never expected to, but it happened and I do. I just feel like you like her more because you're so desperate for her to be happy.'

Suddenly he pulls me towards him and kisses me fiercely, furiously, and I kiss him back.

'I'm sorry.' He says. 'I really like you too. I just hate people being upset and I feel like it's my fault. I'm sorry.' And then he kisses me again.

* * *

**A/N: I know it's fluffy but well, who doesn't like a bit of fluff? ;)**

**Quick question; do you guys prefer 'Scor' or 'Scorp' ? I'll just go with wichever most people like:)**

**Anyway, thank you for all your lovely reviews! I can't get over how amazing you all are! Please keep reviewing! ;)**

**Love to you all :) **

**PS Big shout out to 'SnowflakeBeautiful' for all her lovely reviews and because it's her birthdaaay! :) If you haven't already read her Scorpilly fics then do it now. :)**

**~Mango :)**

**[Anon; Hehe thank you for your review, you're so lovely!:)  
I'm glad you like Al, he's pretty awesome haha ... I base him on the brother I wish I had haha;)  
Haha yeah Rose is slowly getting a bit deluded really;) No, I know what I'm going to do with her though:)  
I'm glad you're enjoying it and thank you so much for your review!  
~Mango :) X]**

**[Leels; Thank you for your suggestion! I wanted them to do something nice to try and cheer her up and I thought your idea was great! I hope you don't mind me stealing it haha:)  
I know what's going to happen to get her over it all in the end though:) Thanks:)  
I hope you liked this chapter and that I did the whole LilyScorp thing justice:)  
****I'm so glad you like the story!  
Thank you so much for your review!  
~Mango :) X]**


	10. The Calm Before the Storm

Chapter 10 – The Calm Before the Storm

...

_**I walk a lonely road,**_

_**The only one that I have ever known.**_

_**Don't know where it goes,**_

_**But it's home to me and I walk alone.**_

_**Greenday – Boulevard of Broken Dreams**_

* * *

**I do not own Harry Potter ... or any of his children ... haha**

* * *

Hugo, Ellie and I have been so overloaded with homework recently that I haven't had much of a chance to see Scorpius.

I suppose it was inevitable given that we are in our O.W.L year, but still.

Right now, I am sitting in the astronomy tower. I have been weighed down with astronomy homework and here is the best place to do it because so much of it involves writing the positions of the stars.

I look at the question I am on.

_13. Plot the constellation; Scorpio._

I curse loudly. Professor Robinson totally knows what he is doing. I _should _be spending time with Scorp now, but I can't because of this damned homework.

'Something wrong, Lil'?' a cheerful voice comes from behind me.

I turn to see Scorpius behind me. His pale skin and blonde hair seems to glow against the night sky.

He looks like an angel. I didn't just think that.

'Nope, just this stupid astronomy homework.' I reply.

'Let me have a look.' He says.

As he takes the paper from me I feel my face flushing ever so slightly.

He looks at me over the paper and raises his eyebrows for a second. 'Well,' he says, 'that's easy enough. It's me, isn't it?'

I grin up at him. I feel even smaller than usual now I am sitting down and he is standing up.

He hands me the paper back.

'So,' he says in a deadly serious voice, 'shall I pose, or…?'

He looks upwards to the night sky with a thoughtful, posey expression that muggles always seem to use in photos in magazines.

He places one hand on his hip and the other on his chin and freezes.

He glances down at me without moving. I shake my head and laugh.

'Draw.' He says dramatically, and then freezes in his pose again.

I have no idea if he is being serious or not.

I watch him for a second and then, breaking into a little smirk, I grab a quill and sketch him standing there.

It's only a quick, sketchy drawing, but it sort of looks like him.

When he sees it he laughs. 'Oh, Lil', you're actually not bad at drawing. Though I'm not sure Professor Robinson would be happy if you handed that in …'

I grin, and he leans down and kisses my forehead gently.

My stomach explodes with butterflies as it always does.

I don't know what I'll do when my parents find out. _If _my parents find out.

He sits beside me and throws his arm around me and then we work on my astronomy together and try to ignore the fact that we're far more interested in each other than the useless paper.

* * *

ϟ O-O¬

* * *

We avoid conversations about Rose, because it stresses us out, and we avoid Rose as much as possible without being mean, because _she _stresses us out.

I feel so sorry for Hugo. It's worse for him because she's his sister, and he's got his O.W.L.s to focus on too.

He's got Ellie as well though, because I swear they're more than friends even if they won't admit it.

I think Rose knows I don't like her being friends with Scorp.

I know I'm being a jealous bitch but she's had her fair share of bitchiness too so I try not to feel bad about it.

I see them in the library talking one day, and I know they are only talking about work or something but I can't help throwing them a nervous glance.

Unfortunately, Rose notices and storms over. 'Lily,' she says angrily, 'I know you think I hate Scorpius – and hell, I know you _want _me to hate him, but it's nice to have someone giving a damn about you who isn't in your family.

'He's been through shit with his family, and I'm feeling shit and we work through things together.

'Maybe he's your _boyfriend_ or whatever, but he makes me feel better so for Merlin's sake, stop acting so fucking jealous. I _don't _fancy him.'

I stare at her. 'I'm not jealous.' I say, because well, I'm more annoyed than jealous but I won't tell her that. 'I'm just worried about you, that's why I keep trying to talk to you but you won't talk to anyone but him when you used to fucking despise him.'

'Well I don't anymore, okay? Seriously, nothing's going on, he's just being nice. And he's Al's friend so I feel I _should _be nice to him.'

'And yet,' I say, 'you're my _cousin _and you don't seem capable of being nice to _me_.' I get up and leave before she can say anything else.

I know I shouldn't have said it, Rose is delicate at the moment and the Potter-Weasley clan have agreed to tread carefully around her.

Upsetting her isn't going to help her self-esteem. But there's nothing I can do now. She's not a baby after all.

I start walking somewhere, but I am not paying attention to my surroundings and I have no particular destination in my mind. I try not to think about Rose because it angers me and I am trying to control my temper. Suddenly I walk straight into someone.

I pull out of my thoughts and look up embarrassed. Fortunately, it's Al.

'Hey, Lil',' he says, 'what's got you all upset?'

He reads me like a book. I'm surprised he didn't see me coming and move out of the way.

But then again he's not a seer.

Suddenly I cannot take it anymore because I have so many complicated and confusing emotions swirling around in my head and with the stress of O. and everything with Rose that I just don't know what to think anymore.

Before anyone can say anything I have burst into tears for the first time since I was about 5 and I have collapsed into Al's arms and I have no idea what's going on.

It's been way too long since I went flying.

* * *

ϟ O-O¬

* * *

Al holds me and takes me to the room of requirement by the shortest route possible to avoid too many people seeing me.

When we are in there me and Al sit against one of the walls and he doesn't force me to talk.

He gets that I am not entirely sure why I am so upset, and he's not going to intrude.

After a little while, when I have calmed down, he says, 'do you want me to get you anything?'

I shake my head.

'Any_one_?' he asks with a slight raise of his eyebrows.

I consider this, but I can't think of anyone I want to see. Not really.

Not even Scorp, he's with Rose …

Nobody. Except maybe Hugo.

I look up at him and he squeezes my hand. 'I'll go get Hugo.' He says.

I don't understand how he knew what I meant just by that one look. This is why I love my brother.

A minute later he returns with Hugo.

'Hey, Lily pad.' Hugo smiles. 'What's up?'

Al gives me a little look over Hugo's shoulder that says _Do-You-Want-Me-To-Leave-You-To-It?_

I give him a _Please-Stay _look, and he sits back down beside me.

Hugo follows suit. 'You okay?' he asks me.

I shrug. 'I guess I was just suddenly overloaded. I had a bit of a fight with Rose and I'm just stressed with my O. and everything is piling up and I feel so pathetic and helpless. I'm sorry.'

'Don't apologise,' Hugo laughs, 'you haven't done anything wrong, we all have those days.'

This is why I love Hugo. He is always so optimistic and smiley about everything. He loves to cause trouble and mayhem, but in some ways he's a bit like me.

He doesn't care what the rest of the world thinks of him. Not that he needs to anyway because everyone loves him.

'Want to talk about it?' he asks.

I shake my head.

'I know what we _do _need to talk about,' he says to the both of us, 'it's Molly's birthday on the 13th and we ought to get her something.'

I groan. Hate is a strong word, but I really dislike Molly. She's organised some big 18th birthday party saying it should be just as important as her 17th because she's coming of age in the muggle sense now.

The thing is, she hasn't actually invited any of her family and we're still supposed to buy her presents.

'What will she want?' Al asks.

'Something crap.' I say.

They both laugh. 'Let's just order her some stuff from Uncle George?' Hugo suggests. 'If she doesn't like it, then it's her problem.'

Al agrees and I grin at him.

'So what happened with Rose?' Hugo asks, seeing I've recovered from my attack now.

'Oh, er, she thinks I'm jealous of her and Scorp being sort-of-friends.'

'And _are _you?'

I pause. 'No. Not really, I just ... I like him a lot,' I flush, 'more than I ever wanted to anyway, and I feel like he's taking Rose's side in things. It upsets me more than anything.'

I feel awkward talking about Rose to her brother and her best friend.

'Nothing's happening between them though, is it?' Hugo asks.

I shake my head.

'So why's _she _upset?'

'Well, I don't really know. She's always upset,' I say carefully, 'she's cross that I don't trust her, I think.'

'Well that's stupid. What happened to her hating him, anyway?'

I shrug. 'I really don't know.' I say.

'I think, Lil',' Al says, 'you need to talk to _him.'_

'Why do I always have to talk to people and sort things out?' I ask miserably. 'Why can't things just sort themselves out?'

Al smiles. 'Come on, Hugh, let's go find Scorpius.'

Hugo nods, but as they leave he turns back to me and says, 'I'll come find you later, Lily pad. Let me know what's happened.'

I nod. Hugo is brilliant.

I suddenly feel a huge rush of gratitude towards the people in my life. To be honest, pretty much all of them are my family, but they are all so amazing and brilliant and I know I could count on them for anything. I really ought to say thank you.

Scorpius comes in as I am thinking this, and he is not followed by Al or Hugo, who have obviously both decided to leave us to it.

'Hey, Lil'.' Scorpius says, smiling sadly. 'What's bitten you?'

'Rose.' I say, glaring at nothing particular, and then I look up at him worried that he'll be offended. 'No, just stress, everything. Argh this is so embarrassing, I _never _cry.'

He kneels down in front of me, holds my face in his hands and kisses my nose gently.

He then sits down opposite me and looks at me carefully. 'You don't always have to be strong, you know.'

I am surprised by this. I'm not strong. It's not like I'm holding in loads of secret emotions or anything. I'm just upset and stressed.

'What's Rose done?'

I feel my cheeks flushing slightly, but I decide I should tell him. He's being good to me anyhow, I owe him that much.

'She thinks I'm jealous.' I say.

'Of what?'

'You and her, being friends. Or whatever it is that you are.'

I don't want to hear his response so I continue quickly asking, 'what happened when you two came in here the other day?'

I feel my heart tighten a little bit. I'm still not sure I want to hear what he has to say.

He sighs. 'Well, I guess I was going to have to explain myself to you sometime.' He says.

'In here, the other day, I told her I wanted to just get over all these stupid prejudices and be friends. She told me she didn't care, didn't give a damn either way.

'I asked her why and she burst into tears on me. I spent about 10 minutes just trying to calm her down. Then she said that she had fucked everything up and her life was shit and whether or not she was friends with me didn't affect her life at all.

'I told her she was being stupid. I told her she was beautiful, popular, smart, and had a brilliant family that cared about her so much. I told her she had far more than I did. She doesn't have an ex-death-eater-bastard for a father. I told her she was being ungrateful, just as she had told you you were being.

'She just looked at me for a while and I couldn't work out what she was thinking. Then she said she wished there were people in her life who cared about her who weren't related to her. I told her about my problems, and it comforts her to know she's not the only one suffering.

'I know how to make her feel better. She has this need to feel loved and wanted. It doesn't work when her brother and her cousins show this, though, because she feels they – _you – _only love her because you have to.

'I don't _love _her, of course, not at all, but you're right; I have a _saving people thing._ I want to help her, and she needs me. She's annoying and bitchy and moody as hell, but I don't hate her for it, because I know I'm making her feel better.

'I know I'm making you feel better too, Lil'. And the difference there is that you're making _me _feel better too and I forget about my family shit when I'm with you. I don't want you to be jealous; I don't want you to feel that I'm siding with her or _anything, _because I'm not. I just don't want people to see me as a bastard anymore.'

I can feel my eyes welling up and I have no idea what to say.

'Forget Rose,' he says, 'I'm sorry. I really am. I know she's been a bitch lately and I don't want to upset you. Let's not talk about her, she doesn't have to be involved in everything. Let's just stick together, yeah?'

I smile, and he brushes my hair out of my face. 'Dammit, Lily, I never thought I'd be saying this but you make everything better.'

And then he leans forward and kisses me, pushing me gently against the wall.

I don't understand how I found someone so perfect … when I used to hate him so much.

'What do you mean?' I ask quietly, after a while, 'about your family. I don't want to pry …'

He cuts across me. 'You're not prying, Lil'. It's just my dad. He's always been a bastard. I guess my stupid, cocky, arrogant side you hate so much comes from him.

'He's really into all this stupid pureblood stuff and well, you know how he's refused to sign my Hogsmeade slip?'

I nod.

'That's because he knows I'm friends with Al, and Al's not my only non-pureblood, non-Slytherin friend either. In my dad's eyes, that's the worst crime I could possibly commit.

'If he knew I was with you, he'd probably disown me.'

I hate the stupid pleased feeling I get when he says this. He's under threat of being disowned and yet he still likes me? Aw shucks.

I frown. 'Well that's shit,' I say bluntly and he kisses me quickly and hardly.

I can't help grinning then.

'Like I said,' he smiles, 'you make everything better.'

* * *

**A/N: So yeah, plenty more fluff I'M SORRY! I hope it's not too much I just needed some cute stuff before the shit happens; as the title suggests, THERE IS DRAMA TO COME! It's not all fluff forever:)  
**

**Hope you're not bored of it:)**

**I've gone for Scorp 'cause that's what most people like:) ****Also Rose is going to _stop _being so involved now, because she's annoying me:)**

**Thank you so much for all your lovely reviews! I wanna cry you guys are so awesome! Please keep going! :')**

**Love you all! {Big heart because I'm not allowed to use the more than sign:) hehe}**

**~Mango :)**

**[Anon: I know, I love him so much! God I'm so pathetic loving my own characters;) Yeah, I think he was always the only one to put up with her but now...  
I'm glad you didn't think that was too fluffy but you probably will with this :/ But I promise it was just because I needed to include the stuff Scorp said here, and because of what's happening next! Sorry:)  
Anyway, I'm glad you're enjoying it! Thank you so much for your lovely reviews!  
~Mango :) X]**

**[Leels: Hehe well it won't be long 'till you find out ... I hope you're not going to be disappointed!;)  
Hehe thank you, I think so too:) I hope you didn't think this chapter was too much though!  
I'm so glad you like it, you're so sweet! Ah thank you thank you thank you! I feel so special!;) Hehe;)  
I hope you liked this chapter!  
Thanks for your lovely reviews:')  
~Mango :) X]**


	11. Optimism

Chapter 11 – Optimism

...

_**It's dark in a cold December, **_

_**But I got you to keep me warm.**_

_**If you're broken I will mend you,**_

_**And I'll keep you sheltered from the storm that's raging on.**_

_**Ed Sheeran – Lego House**_

* * *

**I do not own Harry Potter. Obviously.**

* * *

The weather seems to get progressively colder where it _should _be getting warmer, and consequently, Al and I end up sitting by the lake in the rain more and more.

It's easier than being with anyone else.

Although Scorpius joins us every now and then which is nice. Al usually leaves after a while …

I have more time to revise than Hugo because he is far slower at his work than me, and so is always stressed with the load he has to do with our exams starting next month.

The same goes for Ellie, although she's on the Quidditch team too which means she has an extra few nights a week taken away for training.

There is another Hogsmeade weekend a few weeks later. I almost don't go because I feel bad leaving Scorpius since he's not allowed to go. But since I missed the last one and we need to get Uncle George a birthday present, Scorpius persuades me to go.

Plus I can actually afford to take a day off from work for once.

He also asks me to get a present for Noah's birthday from him since he can't buy him anything himself.

On the morning of the day we're going, I meet James, Fred, Al, Hugo, Lucy and Roxy in the Great Hall. Hogsmeade days are family days.

Except for Molly of course.

It's been ages since I've seen Roxy because she's not in the same house as me and since we're both doing our O.W.L.s in a couple months we've been completely overcome by our work overload.

I don't know Roxy all that well anyway.

I love her, she's a rebel and a joker, just like Fred, and she _loves _to party, but because she's so carefree, beautiful and obsessed with _always _having a good time, she's very popular and doesn't really hang out with her cousins except on these Hogsmeade days.

We head first to Uncle George's shop and Fred and Roxy greet their dad with so much enthusiasm you wouldn't think they'd seen each other for years.

He hands us out loads of freebies and products that aren't actually for sale yet so we can test them out.

I grab a couple of things that Scorp told me Noah likes, and chip in for some rare plant or something that Roxy and Fred want to get their dad from the whole clan.

Then it all seems a bit pointless that I am there at all.

We go to The Three Broomsticks for a little while, but since we have done everything we need to do we decide to just call it a day and head back to the castle.

Another reason is because we seem to be having the first non-miserable day of the year. The sun finally breaks through the clouds and the miserable grey sky turns a little clearer.

We want to just sit in the grounds but when we get there we find that the whole school has stripped off their layers and are trying to sunbathe by the lake.

They don't seem to realise that even if it is relatively sunny, it is still cold, and the grass is still wet from the night before.

Regardless of this, most of the school are outside; meaning our little spot by the lake is occupied by a group of first years who we don't have the heart to shoo away.

Instead, Al, Hugo, Ellie, Roxy and I go to the room of requirement for some privacy. We meet Scorpius and Noah there and go in.

Ellie hasn't seen it before and is immensely impressed until she sees the state inside it.

'You know what I think?' she says, 'I think this place needs some TLC.'

We all look at her blankly. Ellie is a little obsessed with being organised and tidy. She knows more household spells than anyone I've ever met and she's only 15.

It's no wonder she's in Ravenclaw.

'Come on guys! Look at the mess of this place. Isn't this place supposed to be able to provide anything a person needs? No? Well, I'm not surprised it's stopped working. It looks totally unloved.'

'There was a fire, Ellie,' I explain. 'Our parents were here. There was a fire, and it destroyed the place. There's nothing we can do.'

'Don't be silly. We can at least clear up the ashes.' We all just look at her.

'Fine._I_can at least clear up the ashes.' And then she sets to work magically removing the ashes from the room.

Hugo raises his eyebrows at her, and then we all sit down and leave her to it.

After she's finished clearing away the ashes she starts trying to erase the blackened marks on the walls where the fire burnt it. We all watch her work with interest. None of us would have any idea how to do what she's doing. We all presumed the burn marks were inerasable.

We talk for a while, Scorpius is unusually quiet. Although it's not so unusual now. He's still getting a lot of shit from home. I try to comfort him but I don't know what to say.

The best thing I can do is distract him, and he seems to like being distracted so I start a conversation about The Cannons and this seems to cheer him up a little.

When Ellie has finally managed to clear the walls so they are clean and white, she starts using all sorts of arty charms she learned in Art – she's one of only four people in our year who took the subject – and she manages to create a comfortable carpet and wallpaper around the room.

She's far too into this to stop now so she starts creating furniture until we have our own little living room which reminds me of the Gryffindor common room except there is less red and gold.

She looks at her work proudly and says, 'I'd like to be an interior decorator. What do you think?'

We all gape at the transformation to the old room. It actually fits in with the rest of the castle now.

'Isn't interior decorating a muggle job?' Scorpius asks.

'Well, yes.' Ellie admits, 'but I could decorate wizard's houses, couldn't I? I think it would be fun!'

We all agree with her. After all, the place looks great and she managed to do it in about half an hour.

We all settle down on the big sofas Ellie's created and continue talking and playing games.

After a little while Roxy goes to fetch some of her friends because she'd rather talk to them than us, and she brings them in to our newly decorated room.

I have a feeling this room is going to become less and less of a private room for the Potter-Weasley clan. Great.

Scorpius puts his arm round me and gets a few raised eyebrows from Roxy and some of her friends.

He just rolls his eyes at them. I grin and lean on his chest.

I'd love to jump up and dance around and do something weird like I normally would, but I'm too exhausted.

As it begins to get late, Roxy and her friends disappear to go to some party in the dungeons and Fred, James and Ellie have to go to Quidditch practice.

This leaves me, Scorpius, Hugo, Al and Noah.

Al – who is obviously a mind reader – wanders back to the Slytherin common room with Noah, and Hugo decides to see if he can gatecrash Roxy's party.

So it's just me and Scorpius.

'Want to go outside?' I ask him.

He gives me a lazy, _I-Can't-Be-Bothered _look.

I get up and reach for him to take my hand then I pull him up with me. I take him outside and we sit down in our spot by the lake now that the first years have dispersed.

It starts raining again. Typical.

I just reach up and kiss him gently on the lips.

The sky is nearly black and the only light is the faint glow coming from the castle. There is a distant sound of talking and music.

Even in the rain, it's perfect.

He looks down at me. 'Why did I ever hate you?' he asks.

I shrug, 'you were a git.'

He punches me gently on the arm. 'Oi.' He says, and then he kisses me again.

I stand up and reach out for his hand again. 'Let's dance.'

He takes it. 'You're so weird, Lil'.'

We dance together as the rain gets heavier, until the world falls silent and we realise we have missed curfew by about 3 hours.

This is the smell I didn't recognise in the Amortentia.

The smell of fresh air, of rain, and of Scorpius Malfoy.

* * *

ϟ O-O¬

* * *

It is the next day when we are all back in the room of requirement and Rose walks in.

She doesn't look happy. I suddenly feel quite bad that there are so many people here and she wasn't invited.

'Are you okay, Rose?' I ask.

She smiles, a rare sight. 'Yes.' She says. 'I know what I'm going to do now.'

We look at her worriedly. None of us has any idea what to say.

'Rose …' I say, but she cuts across me.

'This was inevitable, wasn't it? I've just fucked everything up one too many times and I give up.'

'What do you mean?' I ask nervously. '_What _was inevitable?'

She smiles again. She looks genuinely happy for the first time in weeks. Months even.

She holds out her hand to me. 'Come with me?' she says.

I get up at once. It's so strange to see her back to her old self so suddenly, so I let Rose drag me out of the room.

Her sudden niceness is making me suspicious, but I have to trust her. She doesn't leave me much choice.

She leads me down to the Great Hall where a lot of students are hanging out since it's the weekend.

Professor Heath is sitting at the teachers table chatting to Professor Longbottom. It is he who Rose is looking at.

Suddenly she lets go of my hand and yells, 'HEY, PROFESSOR!' And the few teachers all turn to face her.

The hall falls silent. Nobody really knows what just happened. Rose Weasley? Shouting in public?

I have no idea what she is about to do.

She pulls her wand from her robes and aims it at Professor Heath.

Rose has a perfect aim, whatever she wants to hit, she will hit. The teachers are all too startled to do anything.

'CRUCIO!' she yells and the spell flies towards them at lightning speed.

It hits a spot on the wall just to the left of Professor Heath.

Everyone is silent. Rose Weasley has never broken one rule before, and now she is likely to be expelled.

I am sure I am the only person in the room who knows that she missed the head teacher deliberately. She never wanted to hit him.

That spot she hit on the wall will have been the spot she aimed for, because Rose has a perfect aim.

Rose never misses what's she's trying to hit.

What _wouldn't _Rose do?

Suddenly it all makes sense. She didn't want to hurt anybody, but she wanted to do something bad enough to get herself expelled. She's making her wish of becoming a muggle come true.

All this time she was so unhappy, she was planning a way out and none of us noticed.

She was happy today because she found one. Because she's going home.

* * *

ϟ O-O¬

* * *

Just when I thought everything was going right, my perfect cousin has been expelled from Hogwarts and I feel I am entirely to blame for not looking after her.

Inside I know I was not, of course, the only reason she did it. She did it because she was unhappy, lonely and desperate for an easier life.

She wanted to be a muggle.

It makes no sense to me, but in her mind, it is logical. So she got expelled only a year before she would have left anyway, and applied to a muggle college where she'd start after Easter.

Rumours fly about Rose, and we, as her cousins, have to defend her.

I get looks and whispers wherever I go because I was the one holding her hand that day.

I ignore people's questions, though.

There will be a hearing, and there I will give my defence, I will explain how she never intended to hurt anyone, how she has perfect aim, and I know I will be backed up, especially judging by her perfect record.

But she broke the law. She used an unforgivable curse. She's lucky she's not of age yet or she'd be thrown in Azkaban. But they won't do that. Even when she is 17. No, it's too obvious that she was out of character that day.

But her wand will be snapped, and she will not be returning to Hogwarts.

Scorpius is a great comfort. I understand slightly more about how it must have felt to be Rose, and to take comfort in someone she used to hate.

But no matter how happy I thought I was, it could never have lasted forever.

We are the Potter-Weasley clan, and we have to cause as much trouble as possible so people don't forget we exist.

Having a father like Harry Potter isn't exactly easy, but I love him, and I love all my family, and I think moments of perfection cannot be perfect forever or things would be boring.

Us Potter-Weasley's need a bit of chaos and weirdness. It's just how we are.

We're lucky we have each other.

Not that I think what Rose did was a good thing, nor has it landed us in a very good situation, but she's happier now, and something was bound to happen judging by the way she was headed.

Now she's got a few weeks at home with her parents who love her and are determined to look after her, and then after Easter she'll go to a school where she might actually be happy.

Things can never be perfect forever. You just have to see the good in things that aren't.

Life isn't meant to be perfect. And no matter how _over_ everything feels and how little I can be bothered to try and sort everything out, it will still happen.

Scorpius has taught me to be optimistic.

At least I have him.

* * *

**A/N: Soooo what do you think? Good or bad exit from Rose there?**

**The next chapter will _hopefully _be more interesting:)**

**Thank you for all your lovely reviews! I only have one exam left so I will be able to update quicker soon!  
**

**Let me know your thoughts!  
**

**Love you all! :)  
**

**~Mango :)**

**[Anon: Thank you! I'm so glad you think that, that really made me smile:) I know what you mean, I like warm and fuzzy fluff too :D  
Yeah I've definately got to get some more Draco in here soon! It's going to be Easter in a bit I think so maybe then ... ;)  
I hope you liked this chapter!  
Thank you so much for your reviews, they make my smile:D  
~Mango :) X]**


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